It's time to start being kind to yourself and become your own cheerleader.
Begin by acknowledging your abilities and talents. Take stock of them. Include the 'little things', they count! Everybody is good at something. Don't skip this exercise, it really will encourage you.
Spend time thinking about all the things you do well and the things that have gone well. Look for things that make you feel good about yourself.
Collect photos of past achievements, note exams that you’ve passed, things that you’ve written, memories of positive things that have been spoken about you …
Create a scrapbook or journal and add to it as you progress. Concentrate on things that you have achieved, this will give you confidence to start moving out of your comfort zone.
To build self confidence you need to do things that will help you gain confidence.
Decide to stop underestimating yourself and stop comparing yourself to other people. Stop expecting everything to be perfect, things seldom are, yet they are often 'good enough'.
Remember, everyone is capable of making a mistake – let yourself off the hook. Don't dwell on past mistakes. Concentrate on the positive things that you’ve done and accomplished and make them your inspiration.
Focus on what you're capable of and remember to give yourself credit for your efforts even when things don't turn out as expected. Learn from your mistakes – ask yourself what you could do differently next time.
Watch your self talk. That's the little inner voice that says, 'I can't do this', 'I made a mess of that again' …
It's time to shut you inner critic up. Remember, you're going to be your own best friend, Friends encourage and build one another up. So, the next time that negative critic starts up, silence it.
Replace the negatives with positives. 'I can do this, I just need a bit of help.' 'I did much better this time, I'm getting there.'
Make a decision to only allow your inner voice to offer constructive comments.
Monitor your self talk for a week. This is the first step in turning your self talk into an ally. Listen to what your inner voice is saying.
What kind of things have you been telling yourself?
Are they helpful?
Would you speak that way to a friend or a young child?
If not, change what you say to yourself. Rephrase the negative comments and make them positive and encouraging.
You develop self-confidence by feeling good about yourself, not beating yourself up. Try giving yourself gentle advice and encouragement. Try telling yourself that yes, you could have handled that better but it's time to move on, learn from your mistake and think about how you can do better next time.
Remember to record your achievements in your scrapbook or journal. When you need a boost, look at them and remind yourself of your successes. In time, you'll have more faith in your abilities and more confidence to try new things.
Go for it.
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