Self-confidence is all about how you see yourself - your skills, abilities, and the level of control you feel in your life.
The word confidence comes from the Latin fidere, meaning to trust. So, in other words, having self-confidence is essentially about trusting yourself - your knowledge, skills, and abilities. When you have a positive view of yourself, you recognise your strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals, communicate assertively, and handle criticism well.
On the flip side, struggling with self-confidence can mean feeling full of self-doubt. You may be more passive and sensitive to criticism. This can stem from all sorts of experiences, perhaps growing up in an unsupportive or critical environment, judging yourself too harshly or being afraid of failure.
But here’s the thing: confidence isn’t just about what you can do - it’s about what you think you can do. It’s mostly based on your perceptions, and these can be flawed. For example, if you’re someone who excels at sports, you may feel confident in this area. However, if you struggle in social situations, you’ll feel less confident. It’s all subjective and very much depends on you as an individual.
The good news, however, is that you can build self-confidence. Incorporating healthy lifestyle solutions can bring a sense of control back into your life. By making small, positive changes you are helping your mind, body and spirit. And you might be surprised at how naturally your confidence starts to grow.
Healthy Habits to Build Self-Confidence
1. End your day with gratitude
Start small. Each night, think of one thing you’re grateful for and why. You can have the worst day in the world, but by finishing it focused on the good, means you can go to sleep in a more positive frame of mind. By starting to see the positive side of life, your outlook/confidence can grow.
2. Meditation
Experts say that meditation can help boost self-confidence in several ways. For one, it helps you to recognise and accept yourself. Meditation also teaches you to stop negative self-talk and disconnect from any mental chatter interfering with your self-confidence.
3. Get out in nature
Spending time outdoors has been scientifically proven to benefit your mental and physical well-being – and the best port? It’s free! Take a moment to relax, soak in your surroundings, and enjoy a cuppa. If you can do this for just five minutes in the morning, even better. Being exposed to natural daylight first thing can help wake you up, get your natural rhythms in sync and contribute to a positive start to your day.
4. Eat whole foods
When you fuel your body with the right foods, you can feel healthier, stronger and more energised which can result in feeling better about yourself. Try to cook from scratch where possible and include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, herbs, spices and pulses into your meals and keep ultra processed foods to a minimum. When you feel more in control of what you are fueling yourself with, feelings of self-confidence grow.
5. Move your body
This doesn’t have to be full on exercise, this can be as simple as going for a walk, using the stairs instead of the escalator or parking your car at the furthest away point of the supermarket car park. Anything that involves you moving is beneficial for your mental and physical health. The benefits are endless including the release of endorphins, the chemicals responsible for feelings of happiness, calmness and well-being. Studies consistently show that moving your body boosts confidence and contributes to a more positive body image.
If you are struggling with low self-confidence, try to introduce at least one of the above top tips to help build healthy habits. YOU have the ability to control your thoughts, your feelings and your behaviours. Small positive daily actions can lead to large overall change in time and remember, behaviour change starts in the mind. Good luck!
East Lothian based Antonia Siegel is the founder of egg business member Healthy Habits. She’s a certified mindset & behaviour change coach with over 4 years’ experience. Her aim is to empower men and women in midlife to manage stress, attain balance and nurture wellbeing by supporting mindset adjustments and changing behaviours for good. www.healthyhabitslife.co.uk
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Images of Antonia courtesy of Rhiannon Louden.
