When things get out of control and you momentarily lose your confidence, there are any number of little things you can do to regain it. Here are 10 tools to help get you started:
- Wash your hands and face, and brush your teeth. It cools your body, which is relaxing, and gives you that “fresh start” feeling.
- Look at any diploma or certificate of achievement you have. And if it isn’t framed and on the wall, do it now. These are reminders of your accomplishments, and taking in your success is important to maintaining your confidence.
- Remember your last (or greatest) success and think about it for 60 seconds. Taking in your success as often as possible will help you reach another and another. Quite simply, it reminds you that, because you have done it before, you can do it again.
- Give yourself a good shave (face or legs). It’s another instant refresher, and, in addition, when we know we are looking our best, we are naturally more confident.
- Know you are the person your kids or other loved ones think you are. Knowing that you are unconditionally loved can’t help but make you feel good about yourself.
- Wash your car, inside and out. Hey, when our wheels are shiny, we feel better. If you don’t think this applies to you, just remember how you felt the last time you got a ride in someone’s very funky car. Race you to the car wash.
- Put on clean socks and shoes you haven’t worn in a few days. Shoes take a day or two to release any moisture they have absorbed, and this is a very easy way to put a little pep back into your step.
- Organize your closet and get rid of anything that no longer fits. Old clothes may come back into style, but you really don’t want them on hangers for the next 20 years. Throwing out the old makes room for the new. For some, the feeling they get from putting on a new “power suit” fills them with self-esteem.
- Cook a lovely meal. Even if you are by yourself, preparing a tasty dinner, setting the table, and treating yourself to a wonderful culinary experience will lift your spirits. Sharing it with someone you love and/or respect will make it even more nurturing.
- Look around you, remember that you started with nothing, and know that everything you see, you created. We can all lose our feelings of selfworth, especially when something goes wrong in our world. The real truth is that, if you have done it before, you can do it again. No matter what.
None of these tasks has to be uncomfortable, and won’t take you much time. Finding ways to give yourself a little boost when you’re not feeling at the top of your game is a trick that truly confident people use on a regular basis.
Keep up the good work!
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.—Albert Einstein