As women, at one point or another in our life we’re bound to struggle with self confidence. With magazines, social media, and the comparison game, it’s hard not to fall down the dark hole of self-doubt. I’m here to tell you that I’ve had my wars with self deprecation and negative self-talk, but I’ve learned to cope with those moments and be happy with the girl I see smiling back from the mirror. If you’re reading this, you’re probably seeking tips to improve self confidence so that you can also be kinder to the person in the mirror.
Learning to love yourself and hold your head a bit higher is not something that comes in a day. It takes time and practice. But over the years, I’ve found three easy tricks to quickly boost my self confidence when I’m feeling less than stellar.
Use Your Mirror to Boost Self Confidence
At first glance, this tip might seem a little counter-intuitive. I mean, if you’re in that downward spiral of negative self-talk, looking in the mirror is the last thing you want to do because those so-called “flaws” will be the first thing that catches your eye.
That’s precisely why the mirror trick works so well, in my humble opinion. We want to stop those negative thoughts in the moment and reverse the pattern. Instead, each time you look in the mirror, I want you to list three things that you love seeing in your reflection in that moment. It could be “my hair looks really great today” or “I love the way I styled this outfit” or even “the color of my eyes is cool”. Really mean it when you say it. Preferably, you’ll say it out loud, too.
The first time you do this, you’ll 100% feel a little silly. But the more you do it, the more comfortable it will become. We’re always our own worst critics and it’s time to stop picking your appearance apart. With positive reinforcement, you’ll really start believing the things that you’re saying.
Do a Quick Posture Check
The mind and body are connected in more ways than we realize. When you’re holding yourself as if you’re uncomfortable and out of place, it’s harder to feel confident.
When you need a quick boost of confidence, take a deep breath in, lifting your shoulders, and then let it all out and drop your shoulders down. Next, push your shoulders back a bit as if you’re trying to connect your shoulder blades in the back and straighten your neck as if you’re trying to reach the crown of your head to the sky.
This simple posture adjustment will add that little extra oomph to make you feel proud of your body and less like you’re trying to hide something. This trick is similar to “faking it til you make it”. Even if you don’t feel confident, your body will exude confidence and eventually that will seep into your mind.
Make a 10/10/10 List
My final quick tip for boosting your confidence is one that you can practice daily or you can do in the moments that you’re needing that quick pick-me-up.
Pull out a notebook and get ready to make a list. If you don’t have a notebook handy, I also like to do this on my phone or even my laptop in the notes app.
The 10/10/10 list, as I like to call it, is broken down into three categories:
- Things in your life that you’re grateful for
- Accomplishments in your life that you’re proud of
- Your greatest strengths or things that you admire about yourself
Within each of the three categories, make a list of 10 items. For example, under accomplishments you might say “I worked out twice this week” or “I made my bed this morning”. It doesn’t have to be major, life-altering accomplishments. You can list the little, everyday moments. Of course, big accomplishments are welcome here as well such as “I finally launched my new business” or “I graduated with straight A’s”.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Remember to give yourself grace. We all struggle with self-confidence from time to time, even the models you see in the magazine. Yet, we’re all beautiful and incredible in our own ways.
These three quick-tricks are helpful in boosting your self-confidence, but you should note that it takes practice to really improve long-term. Cut out that negative self-talk, follow these three steps daily, and pretty soon you’ll find that you believe those compliments that you’re giving yourself.
Do you have any other quick tips for boosting confidence? Please share in the comments below and be sure to shop my wellness favorites here! x
Such a good read!!
I love the idea of the 10/10/10 list! Also, Thanks for the Quick Posture Check, pushed my shoulders back aha!
haha YES, girl! It’s an immediate improvement in your mental state (and physical too, obviously!)
Thank you for sharing this! Self-confidence is so important!
The 10/10/10 list is such a great idea!! And I TOTALLY need to work on my posture – ug. It’s bad!
Good posture is such a struggle! Especially when you’re sitting in front of a computer all day! But, every little reminder helps 🙂
I love these! Posture checks ALWAYS help me get an instant confidence boost. It’s crazy how much the way we stand not only affects others, but ourselves.
So true! Good posture can change so much
These are all great tips! I am a list maker by nature so your tips on making a 10/10/10 list is right up my alley
These are such creative tips. I’ve never heard of 10/10/10 before, and now I definitely want to begin practicing it myself. Thanks for sharing!
okay these are SUCH great tips! had to check my posture while reading it. love the 10/10/10 idea too.
xx rebecca // http://www.rebeccapiersol.me
Love the 10/10/10 idea! I’m saving this to read with nieces!
Love this post! These are great creative tips for anybody!
xo,
Alice