Body + Mind is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through some of the links on our site.
Most people don’t love themselves as much as they should. 85% of people have a negative self-perception and low self-esteem. The overwhelming majority of the population struggles with their self-image, and as each day goes by, accepting and loving yourself grows more critical. Trying out ways to boost your self-confidence can only yield positive results.
Choosing not to love yourself simply doesn’t cut it these days. In this world, you need to be kind to yourself and love yourself for who you are and who you will become. Every day, you strive to be a better person than you were yesterday by increasing your skills and expanding your worldview, and that effort deserves to be celebrated.
Building up your confidence can help you attain opportunities you didn’t know were possible. In addition to being more loving to yourself, you’ll say “yes” more often — you’ll get to experience fun vacations and reminisce on photos of you enjoying life after years pass.
Not everyone can build their self confidence out in public. Choosing ways to boost your self confidence at home is crucial for people who have nowhere else to go or don’t want to be around others — like at work or the gym, for example — when they practice loving themselves. You can try these exercises out in front of the mirror as best as possible, so you can face yourself when attempting to better yourself, but not all are possible in that space.
While it’s essential to understand your feelings and let yourself rest in your emotions when you’re feeling unwell, you should strive to rid yourself of constant negative thoughts. They can make you feel inadequate and cause you to be restless or unable to relax. You should practice replacing negative thoughts with positive ones when they detriment your sense of self.
Affirmations may seem cheesy at first, but they involve putting intentional thoughts in the front of your mind about things you would like to be. Speaking these affirmations aloud, in the present tense, can help you attain your goals. The more you say something, the more you will believe it.
Sometimes, self-confidence can be lacking due to physical attributes. Exercise can help you gain muscle, lose weight or adjust something else you aren’t fond of. You should actively work to love your body no matter what it looks like, and exercise can help you celebrate what your body can do rather than be ashamed of it. With exercise, you’ll feel better about yourself overall — both physically and mentally.
When you tear yourself down constantly, it might be because you have such a negative impression of yourself that you forgot how to be compassionate. People can compliment others all day, but it’s a different struggle to praise themselves.
This exercise is best completed in front of a mirror. That way, you can look at yourself when you find nice things to talk about. Admire your physical appearance, personality, skills and interests and so much more. Having this tender moment to yourself could help you learn to be more compassionate when speaking to yourself and, over time, build your self-confidence.
Not getting enough sunlight can lead to detrimental effects on your mental state. Seasonal depression rolls around in the wintertime because less sunlight can throw your internal clock off balance, which can prove difficult for anyone fighting an unwanted mental state. Even screens, like computers and phones, can mess up your circadian rhythm.
Aim to get a little sunlight each day to remind your body of the proper schedule it should be on. Regulating your body’s schedule can help improve your mental state, which could avoid negative thoughts about yourself. Getting sunlight could lead to you having a better perception of yourself, especially in the darker months of the year.
Struggling with receiving feedback — positive or negative — could mean that you had a bad experience receiving negative feedback in the past, leaving you terrified of messing up and believing your skills aren’t as great as they should be. Perfectionism can be hard to beat, but you can do it while acknowledging that you’re a valued person in all areas of your life.
You can work your way through intense feelings by practicing with loved ones. Other members of your household won’t try to scathe you with their opinions, so you know that their feedback comes from their hearts, not malicious intent. Work with them to understand how to be the best you can be.
One exercise you can try with your loved ones is asking if anything you’ve done has upset them recently. Politely receive their feedback and implement tactics to change any bad behavior in the future. Likewise, you can practice giving them feedback on positive and negative behaviors. Doing so can prepare you to receive both good and bad comments from the workplace or in your personal life.
With great self-esteem, you can do almost anything. Confidence is key to getting you to most places in life, whether that’s attaining the career you always wanted or impressing people in your personal life. Try these ways to boost your self confidence without leaving the comfort of your home. By stepping out of your comfort zone, little by little, you’ll break out of your shell and grow into the person you were meant to be, loving yourself every step of the way.
