ME, MYSELF AND I

Self-confidence is a positive feeling about oneself and the attitude and actions that are an outcome of a sense of self-respect. It is the courage to know ourselves, believe in ourselves and act accordingly.

It means valuing self for who we are, regardless of how the world perceives us. Feeling good about self and feeling worthy despite imperfections, knowing and accepting the whole self, both strengths and weaknesses is very important for self-confidence.

Self-confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy are very similar terms, all three are vital for a good quality of life. While self-confidence is the positive feeling about self and world that can impact our actions, self-esteem is the degree to which we value ourselves and self-efficacy is the belief in our ability to accomplish something.

Self-confidence creates a feeling of being complete, a sense of inner peace and the ability to create and experience happiness. Having little self-confidence creates feelings of self-doubt, unworthiness, inferiority to others, apathy, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

Self-confidence and self-esteem promotes motivation and helps us achieve our goals in life. It makes us more resilient, gives us the coping mechanism in failure and handle setbacks without getting crippled by them.

Self-confidence can raise deeper empathy in ourselves. When we are fully present in the moment and not preoccupied with self-doubt, we can be the person who reaches out to help others with their problems.

Some tips to boost self-confidence:

1. Self-acceptance is key to feeling confident. Nobody is perfect. Accepting our flaws and understanding our uniqueness is the first step towards self-confidence.

2. Surrounding ourselves with people who make us feel good. Associating with people who appreciate and care about us and strengthening our friendship and bond with such caring and positive people will help us feel better in the long run.

3. Trying out new things is a perfect way to feel good. Making something tangible boosts serotonin in the brain which gives us that satisfied and happy feeling. Try anything new - music, art, dance, games, sewing, cooking or even just some DIY craft.

4. Helping out someone in need or volunteering at an animal shelter or old-age home will make feel good, and this feeling boosts self-confidence immensely.

5. Setting realistic goals for each day and keeping track of the progress by writing down all the actions taken, however small they might be. An enormous sense of accomplishment can be felt when all the goals have been ticked off before the end of the day.

6. Eating well and exercising boosts endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good pill”, which stimulates a more positive mood.

7. Challenging bad thoughts about ourselves and replacing them with more positive thoughts which celebrate things we are good at.

Prerana Pai