Confidence is critical to both success and wellbeing. Various research studies have explored the impact of different levels of confidence and the results are quite startling. In terms of professional achievements, high levels of confidence will typically open up doors that would otherwise be inaccessible. With the right level of confidence, you are more likely to be chosen for a business position, get that dream promotion or even manage your own business venture. As well as this, it’s far easier to build up contacts in the business world with the right level of confidence. People tend to gravitate toward individuals who are sure of themselves and conversely, avoid people who aren’t.
Of course, confidence also impacts personal relationships. Confident people are more likely to be in relationships and these relationships also have a greater chance of success. Part of this is likely due to how confident people interact and communicate. If you are confident, you’re probably going to impress someone on a first date far more than if you are a nervous wreck.
There is even research that suggests a high level of confidence benefits your mental health. Again, this is due to communication. If you are confident, you’re going to have far more social interactions on a daily basis or just throughout your lifetime. Humans require high levels of social contact to maintain their mental health as well as their cognitive abilities.
So confidence is important. But how can you deal with things if you have low levels of confidence? How can you ensure that you don’t miss out on these fantastic life benefits? Let’s explore this.
Speak To A Therapist
First, if you have low levels of confidence that you believe are negatively impacting your life, then the best step that you can take is always going to be speaking to a therapist. You might think that you don’t need therapy which is understandable. However, do be aware that experts suggest anyone – no matter how well-rounded they are – could benefit from a little therapy. You can just think of it as a doctor’s checkup to make sure that everything is working as it should. Only instead of checking your physical health, a therapist will check you out mentally.
A therapist can also offer you mechanisms that will allow you to deal with low levels of confidence too. For instance, they might explore options like cognitive retraining therapy. CRT is highly effective because it can teach you how to manage triggers that cause low levels of confidence and will allow you to approach them in a way that is more beneficial to you.
Do be aware that self-confidence issues are often deep-rooted. The reasons why you don’t believe in yourself could be buried far within your past. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you do get help from a professional. They’ll be able to take you on a journey through past traumas so that you can tackle them head-on.
Is It Physical?
For a lot of people, confidence issues are often based on physical traits. In other words, we feel down about ourselves because we’re not the right weight or the right height. Or, maybe there’s something about your face that you don’t like. Perhaps it’s a mole on your body? There are a few things to be aware of here. First, the things that you notice probably aren’t anywhere near as noticeable to other people. For instance, a lot of people are completely paranoid that their face isn’t particularly symmetrical. But here’s the surprising fact about that. The vast majority of people do not have 100% symmetrical faces. Research has shown that if your face is totally symmetrical it freaks people out because it doesn’t look human. This is a little example of the irony that exists around the concept of conventional beauty.
Another point to consider is that it’s getting more difficult to match the levels of beauty to which people are held to in society. Part of the reason for this is changing technology. Experts believe that software that effortlessly fixes the flaws on your face for pictures is causing tremendous new waves of body dysmorphia and could lead to worrying trends in the future. So, it’s important not to get wrapped up around whether you are conventionally attractive.
However, it’s equally possible that there’s something about your body that has been bothering you for years. People might have bullied you for it or drawn attention to it. That can hit hard and if this is the case, then there are options. Top plastic surgeons will always consult with you about the changes that you can make to your body and ensure that you can regain your confidence in the way you look.
Alternatively, you might be unhappy with your weight. If so, then you can focus on your fitness and set it as a self-improvement goal. This can help you a great deal and ensure that you do feel better when you look at yourself in the mirror. However, do be aware that feelings of dysmorphia may still remain even after you lose weight. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you are seeking out help from a therapist too.
Get A New Mindset
Often the confidence issue is all to do with your personal mindset. We’ve already briefly discussed this when thinking about the concept of conventional beauty. One of the ways that you can impact your confidence and improve it would be by approaching a new mindset. You need to learn that there are things that matter in life and things that don’t. A little further down, we’re going to discuss the fact that you shouldn’t fear failure. The fear of failure holds a lot of people back. This drains their confidence because they think that not trying is far better than trying and failing miserably. However, this isn’t the case, because ultimately there’s nothing wrong with failing at all. Once you achieve a change to your mindset like this, you’ll have far more confidence.
Exercise
Exercise is one of those things that can make you feel absolutely amazing once you have done it. This is due to the happy hormones raging around your body after a workout. You have serotonin and endorphins to thank for those happy, confident feelings after exercise. If you carry on with your exercise routine then you can say goodbye to that low confidence for good.
There are many places you can enjoy a good quality workout, including the comfort of your own home, the gym, or even the park. Try and fit some form of exercise into your daily routine.
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
You are only human, if you hear that a lot then it is very accurate. You can only learn from your mistakes and improve, if we were all perfect the world would be very boring. Don’t worry about being bad at something or failing, that might all be part of the plan. How can you expect to find a better version of yourself if you are good at everything from the start? Tell yourself that failing is okay, get back up and try again. Try a million times, as long as you complete it eventually. This will give you an incredible sense of achievement and pride.
If there is something that you have always wanted to do but have been afraid to do then now is your chance. Take the bull by the horns and do it, what’s the worst that could happen? It may be a change in career or some training for your current job. You will never know what you can achieve until you do it.
Forget About What You Can’t Control
Finally, if you are stuck on things you have absolutely no control over then this can weigh you down. Worrying about things that you can’t change or that doesn’t directly affect you is not going to get you anywhere with your confidence. This can even end up preventing you from going out and socializing. Worrying about various aspects of life, or even death can mean you are faced with problems such as anxiety, which can lead to low confidence.
As you can see, there are numerous reasons why you might have low levels of confidence in your life. The good news is that there are always steps that you can take to build up your levels of confidence, ensuring that you feel better about who you are and what you can offer the world.
If the research it’s right, then it’s likely that by doing this, you will see serious benefits in your professional and personal life. Improving your confidence could even boost your mental and physical health, ensuring you have a better quality of life well into your twilight years.
All you need to do is make the right first step. Figure out why you have low levels of confidence and then work to correct it. You’ll be amazed by the impact that a step like this can have on your world.
