When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about yourself, tell yourself to stop. It has been shown that simply telling yourself to stop can help break negative thought cycles. You can also try to reframe your thoughts. For example, if you think that you are fat, reframe it in a less negative way such as “I’m unhappy with my weight. What am I doing about it?” It doesn’t have to be all sunshine and rainbows; you just have to be less hard on yourself. Positive thinking leads to a positive, more confident disposition. When you think negatively about yourself it becomes habit and all of a sudden you’re thinking negatively about everything. You become gossip-y and complain-y and one of those people that is always putting something else down. Allow yourself to be excited about who you are, undeterred by the limits your parents, community, or job may place on you. [1] X Expert Source Joui TurandotBranding Consultant Expert Interview. 4 June 2020.

Seriously. You probably have clothes on your back, talents, people who love you, and a future, just for starters. That’s the stuff most people have – what else do you have that’s unique to you?

Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin. If you force a smile, you will literally be happier. Not look happier, not seem happier, be happier. Smiling reduces stress, lowers your blood pressure, and improves your immune system. Smiling makes us more attractive to others. Happier people are, generally, more confident. That’s the idea here. No room for worry when it’s all good!

Visualize yourself doing awesome and it all going well. When you expect success, you might just get it. But when you expect to fail, you will. Take a deep breath. When we breathe too quickly, our heart rates go up and our brains can enter “fight or flight” mode. You’re just making yourself more nervous. Because you are not facing a physical threat, there is no need for this.

It’s a lot easier to feel good about ourselves when we think we look good. So take a shower, do your hair, wear clean clothes, and wear deodorant. Don’t feel the need to bust out the prom attire, but do put a little effort in to feel put together.

You don’t have to be a marathon runner to reap the benefits of exercise. 30 minutes a day (even broken up into smaller chunks) is all you need to hop on the health train.

Being good at something, mastering a skill, gives us personality, gives us something to talk about, and makes us interesting in addition to giving us a sense of fulfillment. Make sure to try things that are new to you as well. Trying new things helps you to build new skills and discover more about who you are. This will help to build your confidence.

Most people are friendly enough. They’re not out to get you or to judge you. In fact, they’ll probably enjoy talking to you and you to them. Most people don’t like initiating either. They’ll open up if you make the first move. They’re just as nervous as you are to put yourself out there. People get cliquey. They stick to what they know and they don’t like to deviate much. This is boring. Don’t do it. You’ll learn so much more from people who are different than you.

And the more you talk to people, the more you’ll get down this socializing thing. It can be pretty intimidating, but won’t be after 100 times of the exact same small talk you find over and over. If you don’t know how or where to start, you can read How to Be Extroverted, How to Be a Social Butterfly and How to Be Outgoing.

Accept compliments graciously. A simple “thank you” is the best way to do this. Don’t hem and haw or make excuses when someone is nice to you. That’s modest, sure, but it’s not really kind to the other person. Imagine if they gave you a gift and you were all, “No, no, I don’t deserve this; take it back. " That being said, keep your compliments genuine. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.

Observe yourself and others instead of judging. When you stop judging, the negativity stops. Your mind opens up and you can learn. Observe yourself and others so you can learn. What makes others seem so confident? What makes you feel confident and not feel confident? What are your triggers and patterns? One fun exercise is to use a platform like Pinterest to collect photos of things you enjoy looking at. Over time, you may notice trends in those images that reveal the details of the sorts of characteristics your subconscious appreciates. [3] X Expert Source Joui TurandotBranding Consultant Expert Interview. 4 June 2020.

Along with a real role model or mentor, keep a positive crowd of people around you. Being with people who try to bring you down (inadvertently or not) or force you to be someone you’re not will never make you happy and isn’t worth it, regardless of how pretty or rich or smart or whatever they are.

You can’t really be happy being something or someone you’re not. You may see initial positivity from others around you (wearing clothes that make you fit in, etc. ), but eventually that’ll stop and you’ll be left with what you think of you. So if there’s a voice in you that’s saying, “No thanks,” listen to it. That’s trust in yourself, that’s doing your own thing – that’s confidence! It’s better to have a few people who are super fans of who you truly are, than a lot of folks who feel lukewarm about who you’re not. You don’t want to please everyone, you want to please the right people![4] X Expert Source Joui TurandotBranding Consultant Expert Interview. 4 June 2020.