"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced". - Vincent Van Gogh
PREPPING FOR THIS WEEK
As I began to write about self-confidence this week, a quick internet search on the subject brought up many ways for me to improve my self-confidence. The suggestions were "practical tips to improve yours" to "5 ways to boost it" and even "25 killer actions to improve". It seems everyone is looking for a way to improve self-confidence and self- esteem. At least according to the Google search I performed.
WHAT IS SELF CONFIDENCE ANYWAY?
The reason I was doing the Google search in the first place was because I was struggling to define self-confidence in a clear way. This happens sometimes when I have been writing a lot and my brain is a bit fatigued as a result. Thankfully my friends online had all kinds of suggestions for how to define self-confidence. Mostly it comes down to that feeling of trust that you have in your own abilities and skills.
Over the course of our lives certain experiences can cause our self-confidence to become impacted. These can be small experiences that compound over time or more major occurrences like bullying, abuse, and early academic challenges.
Whether your confidence has taken a knock due to circumstances in your past or something more recently, the good news is there is something you can do about it.
THE SOLUTION DEPENDS ON THE ROOT
Because there really is no one size fits all solution I always hesitate to give one in this format. Here are some fairly harmless solutions that can help just about anyone:
HAVE A CONVERSATION - What does work for just about everyone is talking to a safe person about what is bothering you. Having an honest and open conversation can do you a world of good in getting to the root of what is causing your issue. You may not realize what it is yet. If you don't have a trusted person talk to a member of the clergy. If you aren't religious reach out to me. Talk to someone though.
VOLUNTEER - The happiest time in my life was after I moved to Northern California and was volunteering for a local dog rescue. I hadn't landed a job yet and so had tons of extra time on my hands. In order to not go totally mad I hooked up with a dog rescue that did adoption events on weekends. Every Saturday and Sunday I was there all day. Bathing puppies, cleaning crates, interviewing potential adopters. I ended up covered in puppy poop sometimes and I didn't care. I was helping dogs find homes and I was blissfully happy. I also met some fantastic people and eventually my rescue dog Hess!
EXERCISE - I'd like to think most of you that are reading this are already working out a lot but maybe try something new. Learning a new skill or mastering a new sport can really help to build confidence. If you are a strictly cycling and weights person, try yoga. If you are a die hard cardio weirdo (yup I called you a weirdo), try some weights. Mix it up. Step out of your comfort zone.
NEXT STEPS
Hopefully this has been helpful for you. If you need help working on your confidence, please get in touch, book a call. I have personally struggled with this and I know how hard it can be to do it alone. Let's work out a plan to get you feeling like yourself again.