Importance of Being Confident
1. Confidence is Important for Decision making
If you lack confidence, then you might find yourself struggling to make
difficult decisions. Having a high level of confidence will give you the ability to
make tough decisions.
2. Confidence is Important for Stronger Communication
Communication is key particularly in the workplace and confident people are
not afraid to speak their minds or face challenges head-on. Having confidence can
help you become a good communicator as you won’t be afraid to stand out from
the crowd or take responsibility for certain actions.
3. Confidence Helps You Become More Resilient
Not everything in life is going to go smoothly, there will be times when you’ll
experience challenges. Confidence will put these challenges and potential failures
into perspective. Making mistakes is all part of learning and by being more
confident you will take a more proactive approach in correcting them and making
sure that those mistakes don’t happen again.
4. People Will Respect You
Confident people gain the respect and trust of others. Look at some of the
world’s great leaders, they have all faced their fair share of challenges and
adversity, but it is their confidence that always shines through. Being confident
also means being able to respond to criticism and not hiding away from it.
5. Confidence is Linked to Self-esteem
Confidence can have a huge impact on a person’s self-esteem which in turn
influences their confidence. While the two are not mutually exclusive they do go
hand in hand. Great confidence will boost your self-esteem and you will know just
what your capabilities are. Living with low self-esteem can harm your mental
health and lead to problems such as depression and anxiety.
Barriers to Confidence
1. Fear of failure
One of the most common barriers to self-confidence is the fear of failure. This
can stem from a lack of experience or a perfectionist mindset. Fear of failure can
paralyze you from taking action, making decisions, or trying new things. It can
also erode your trust in yourself and your abilities. To overcome this barrier, you
need to embrace failure as a learning opportunity, not a personal flaw. You need to
recognize that failure is inevitable and normal, and that it does not define your
worth or potential. You also need to seek constructive feedback, celebrate your
successes, and set realistic and attainable goals.
2. Negative past experience
Our past experiences also play a significant role in shaping our thoughts and
beliefs about ourselves. Negative experiences or failures in the past may leave us
with lingering doubts about our capabilities in similar situations. For example, if
you were criticized or rejected in your childhood for not being good enough at
something, you may carry those feelings of inadequacy into adulthood. These
negative experiences create limiting beliefs that hold us back from reaching our
full potential.
3. Social expectations
One of the main factors that contribute to feelings of self-doubt is societal
expectations. From a young age, we are bombarded with messages from society
about what success looks like and what we should strive for. These expectations
can come from various sources such as family, friends, media, and cultural norms.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to others who seem more successful or
have achieved certain milestones at a younger age. This constant comparison can
lead us to doubt our own abilities and worth.
4. Fear of being judged and rejected
The fear of being looked at in a negative way makes us question every
decision, be worried we’ll make the wrong choice, or regret that we already have
done those things. When you are repeatedly met with a lack of approval, you are at
risk of losing self-worth, self-value, and self-trust.
5. Negative self-talk
Self-doubt often goes hand in hand with negative self-talk - the internal
dialogue that criticizes one's actions, abilities, and worthiness. This constant
negativity can take a toll on our mental health and well-being.
6. Peer pressure
Negative peer pressure is often related to influencing bullying behaviors,
drinking alcohol, drug use and negative body image, all of which are harmful to a
child or young person’s wellbeing. The effects of such behaviors can decrease self-
confidence, self-worth and distancing from family members and friends.
Ways to Improve Self-confidence
Recognize what you're good at We're all good at something, whether it's cooking,
singing, doing puzzles or being a friend. We also tend to enjoy doing the things
we're good at, which can help boost your mood.
Build positive relationships If you find certain people tend to bring you down, try
to spend less time with them, or tell them how you feel about their words or
actions. Try to build relationships with people who are positive and who appreciate
you.
Learn to be assertive Being assertive is about respecting other people's opinions
and needs, and expecting the same from them. One trick is to look at other people
who act assertively and copy what they do. It's not about pretending you're
someone you're not. It's picking up hints and tips from people you admire and
letting the real you come out.
Start saying "no" People with low self-esteem often feel they have to say yes to
other people, even when they do not really want to. The risk is that you become
overburdened, resentful, angry and depressed.
Give yourself a challenge We all feel nervous or afraid to do things at times. But
people with healthy self-esteem do not let these feelings stop them trying new
things or taking on challenges. Set yourself a goal, such as joining an exercise class
or going to a social occasion. Achieving your goals will help to increase your self-
esteem.
Practice Positive Self-Talk
Monitor the conversations you have with yourself. If you repeatedly tell yourself,
"This will never work," or "Everyone is going to laugh at me," you’re going to feel
bad about yourself. When you catch yourself being overly critical or making
negative predictions about your chances of success, stop and ask, "What would I
say to a friend who was thinking this?" Chances are, you’d likely offer
compassionate words of encouragement. For some reason, it’s much easier to be
kind to others than it is to be kind to ourselves. But self-compassion can be key to
helping you feel better about yourself.
Develop consistent self-care activities
Just as how others treated us in the past impacted significantly on our self-
esteem, how we treat ourselves everyday influences how we value ourselves. Self-
care includes such things as: eating a healthy diet, getting optimal amounts of
sleep, doing regular exercise, practicing good hygiene, taking time to do things you
enjoy, wearing clothes that you really like, treating yourself well each day, and
making your living space somewhere you really enjoy to be. Feeling out of shape,
exhausted, unattractive, and unhappy leaves us very vulnerable to feelings of
insecurity.
Develop a list of your strengths or positive qualities
Write out a list of all the strengths you possess and then add to it as you
recognize new ones. Then post this list on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or
other visible location to remind yourself of these strengths and qualities.
Quit comparing yourself to others
Comparing yourself to others might help your self-esteem, if you in fact
compare yourself to people who are less skilled or talented than you are. However,
most people who struggle with self-esteem issues do the opposite and compare
themselves to others who excel in the areas they value, and therefore end up
feeling defeated. Instead, compare yourself to yourself and look for the progress
you have made in your pursuit of competence and success.
Live your life with purpose and goals
Setting and achieving goals builds self-esteem. Living a life that is aimless and
purposeless gives no sense of achievement, which does not build your sense of
self. As well, do not let others, such as your parents, establish your goals and
purpose in life. They will rarely fit for you and will ultimately lead to unhappiness
and failure. You need to set a goal, develop a plan of action, implement the plan,
and evaluate your success.
Related Vocabulary:
1. Self-assurance – confidence in one’s own abilities or character
2. Resilient – able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
3. Self-esteem – how we value and perceive ourselves
4. Empowerment – the process of becoming stronger and more confident
5. Assertiveness – confident and forceful behavior
6. Poise – calm confidence in a person’s way of behaving
