1. Forget about everyone else. While it is good to hear other people's opinions, remember that what people think or say about you (to your face or behind your back) does not devalue your worth. Consider the saying 'What Sally says about Susie says more about Susie than it does about Sally'. If someone is slating you ignore them! They're not worth your time!!
2. Don't compare yourself to other people. Obviously this is so much easier said than done and I'm the worst for comparing myself to others. I constantly see people and think 'She's so much prettier than me' or 'she's so much better at _____ than me' and it's a very destructive behaviour. I like the quote 'Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle' and it's so true. There is no point comparing yourself to someone else who may have more practice or experience than you. Yeah it's great for them but it doesn't make you any worse!!
3. Believe in yourself. Self-belief is quite hard to come across, we live in a society where it is sometimes frowned upon, especially as a girl I think, to actually say out loud 'I'm good at this' or 'I can do that' etc. Obviously no one wants to be cocky about themselves and you are not better than anyone else but there is nothing wrong with believing in yourself. If you don't have even a little bit of self belief, how can you expect other people to believe in you and support you?
4. Appearance. Obviously there is so much more to you than your external appearance but I often find if I make a bit more of an effort with my makeup and outfit etc I feel happier and hence a little more confident in myself.
5. Smile. It is such a simple thing but smiling creates an atmosphere around you which makes others feel happy and relaxed around you and can then make you feel more comfortable and confident in a situation.
6. Listen to music. I find, and don't judge me for this, that plugging my headphones in, putting on some loud music and dancing around my room can really cheer me up and thus lift my confidence. Even if you're not dancing around your room but you're sat on a train or walking down the street, music can put a little spring in your step and give your confidence a little boost.
7. Remove negative people from your life. There is no point in trying to be confident if you surround yourself with people who constantly bring you down, making comments about your appearance or making jokes about something you said. Yes, a little bit of banter is great, it's good to find a group of people who you can get a long with and take the mic out of each other but there's a line that is sometimes crossed and can lead people to feel really down and lacking in confidence. By surrounding yourself with non-toxic people you should feel more confident in yourself as you are more supported by people who care about you.
8. Don't be afraid. I'm a culprit of being too afraid to do something and then regretting it so it's so important to try and forget about the risks attached to something and just let go of everything. Forget about anything bad that could happen and focus on the good that will come out of whatever you want to do.
9. Don't worry about failing. Reaching 100% confidence won't happen overnight so don't panic if you have little setbacks. Take everything as experience and don't worry if you do take one step back. Stay calm and believe in yourself in the next situation. Know you can do whatever it may be and, to quote Nike, 'Just Do It'.
10. Just. Be. You.
I hope these tips have been helpful, remember that you are the only you there is and you are only going to get one life (unless you believe in reincarnation) so live it well and with no regrets!!
Thanks for reading!
Charlotte
XO
