{"id":7793,"date":"2023-04-20T14:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T14:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arliemediadesign.com\/?p=7793"},"modified":"2025-03-22T08:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T08:44:12","slug":"6-tips-to-improve-your-self-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happy.co.uk\/blogs\/6-tips-to-improve-your-self-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Tips to Improve Your Self-Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I was first was asked to write a blog about self-confidence, my first thought was \u2018Ha! Who am I to tell anyone about confidence?\u2019 But I\u2019ve learned a lot about confidence over the last few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here is my confidence journey. It follows a typical \u2018six steps to confidence\u2019 pattern \u2013 I hope you can learn from it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Be true to yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Confidence is about believing in yourself and your own ability to prosper. 15 years ago, I wasn\u2019t a confident person. True, I was a woman in what was then very much the \u2018man\u2019s world\u2019 of engineering, which took guts, but I was crippled by Imposter Syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d got all the qualifications, but inside, I never believed I would prosper. I found my specialism, but I wasn\u2019t going any further. Something had to change. So, as the only thing we really have control of is ourselves, I started to change myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Healthy body, healthy mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, that old thing! But that\u2019s where my confidence journey started. I got healthier, I got fitter, and with that, I got stronger mentally. Consciously practising self-care will make you feel better about yourself. Mindfulness and gratitude also help with healing and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved health is a quantifiable thing that no-one, even your inner voice, can argue with. You will be, indisputably, better, and therefore more confident, than you were before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Get out of your own way \u2013 learn to manage your inner voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stop being your own worst enemy. My inner voice told me that I owed it to younger women to stick with engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By learning to reframe unhelpful thoughts, that mindset began to change. My inner voice started saying, \u201cHey! 24 years in engineering \u2013 well done you! If you can achieve that, what else can you do?\u201d I was on my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Build positive networks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being around people who neither value you nor your work is draining and has proven detrimental effects on your self-esteem and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never felt valued in engineering and consequently didn\u2019t value myself. I wanted to do something worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not deaf but have used British Sign Language nearly all my life, so I decided to volunteer at the local Deaf Centre. I was warmly welcomed into my local Deaf community and the people I met there recognised something in me I didn\u2019t know was there. They encouraged me every step of the way to becoming an interpreter, and they simply would not let me fail. Their unwavering confidence in me changed me, forever.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do the people around you value and celebrate you and your contributions? Do they want you to succeed? If not, try to limit the interactions you have with them. It may not be easy to change your circumstances, but as your confidence grows, why not join a group or do some voluntary work where you will be appreciated, learn new skills and meet new people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Don\u2019t beat yourself up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, confidence doesn\u2019t just come from feeling good about yourself. Focus, commitment, and practice are all important contributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you worried about an upcoming event? Make sure you prepare well. If, after doing all you can beforehand, you are disappointed by the outcome, stifle that negative inner voice and be grateful for the learning experience. Try to pinpoint what exactly went awry, break it down and think of real actions you can take to ensure a better outcome next time. Write it down. Practice. Involve those positive people you are now mixing with!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Believe in yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Psychologists recognise the value of self-affirmations in improving confidence. Keep telling yourself you can do it. Set yourself realistic goals. Small steps will make a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not an engineer or a Sign Language interpreter anymore but learning to believe in myself lead eventually to becoming my own boss and a dream job, things I could not have imagined 15 years ago. If I can do it \u2013 you can too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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