When I see people who are relaxed and not nervous in any situation, there are times when I envy their confidence. A confident person thinks optimistically and is full of energy even in difficult situations. On the other hand, people who lack self-confidence think pessimistically and find it difficult to feel a sense of accomplishment. Confidence is essential to success, how can you increase it? Find out how to effectively set your mindset to increase your self-confidence, which you can practice little by little in your daily life.
◆ Pursue ‘change’ and expand your world
Confidence refers to the quality of being able to act leisurely in any situation. If you want to be confident, you need to get out of the well and expand the world you belong to. You can make big changes, like changing jobs, but small changes like making new friends or trying new foods can help. If you expand your boundaries like that every day, your comfort zone will greatly expand. Eventually, you will be able to take a laid-back attitude even outside the boundaries.
◆ Let’s throw away the ‘impostor syndrome’ that underestimates oneself
Imposter syndrome refers to the psychology of not being able to accept one’s achievements as they are. It is a psychology that attributes one’s success to luck rather than effort and is reluctant to reveal one’s skills or success. Even if you have success, you dismiss it as an overestimation and at the same time underestimate yourself. Why? This is because we usually remember mistakes easily and have a hard time remembering successes. Be sure to write in a diary or write a record on the day you achieved even a small achievement. If you keep in mind the things you did well, your self-confidence will naturally grow.
◆ Let’s change our thoughts and actions with a ‘different style’
Wearing different clothes than usual doesn’t just change your mood. Thoughts and actions also change. According to a related study, it was found that putting people in a white coat surprisingly improved their ability to concentrate. If you dress as a doctor, it means that you act like a doctor, at least in a way that you think ‘a doctor would do’. So, if you want to feel confident, try wearing clothes that a confident person would wear. Just changing your style can change your thoughts and actions accordingly.
◆ Acknowledge yourself and be ‘honest with yourself’
To boost your self-confidence, the first thing you need to do is be honest with yourself. For example, what would my attitude be if someone asked me about my job or income? Are there any barriers to the answer? Or do you keep stopping to hide something? It’s not about revealing your true feelings to everyone. It means that at least I should know what part of myself I am ashamed of, and how to make up my mind to admit that part of myself as well. When you look into yourself transparently and put down the lies, you will feel the confidence follow.
◆ Keep your promise with ‘regular exercise’
People usually start exercising to lose weight and build muscle. However, exercise has a profound effect on the mind as well as the body. When you exercise, you feel better, your anxiety goes away, and your self-confidence grows. Exercising regularly means keeping your promise to yourself. Even in that sense, exercise contributes to self-confidence. It is because the sense of accomplishment that you have done every day builds up your self-confidence.