Being a woman can be a difficult journey. Especially if you happen to be navigating your life as a college student. You may face pressure from many sources, like your family, peers, and society as a whole. You may struggle with a lack of self-confidence, worrying about how you appear to others. But building your confidence can be an empowering experience, giving you the courage to move forward with life.
There are many things that you can do to start building your self-confidence. Here are 5 game changing tips to put to consider putting into practice in your daily life.
1. Practice Self-Compassion. Learning to be kind and gentle to yourself is the first step in developing strong self-esteem and confidence. This means understanding that your mistakes and imperfections are normal, and that you don’t need to be perfect. Take a moment to congratulate yourself on your successes and give yourself a break if something doesn’t work out.
To help you get started, download our free Self-Compassion Exercise here.
2. Develop Your Self-Image. Sometimes we can get hyper-focused on what we perceive to be negative aspects of ourselves. How about creating a new ritual to counteract this? Start by identifying and writing down a list of your good qualities. Look at it (and add to it) every day to reinforce your self-worth and boost your confidence.
3. Set Micro-Goals. Setting small, achievable goals that you’ll be more apt to follow through on is a powerful confidence booster. Making progress on your goals not only makes your feel more confident but also enhances your motivation. An example, instead of overwhelming yourself with a lofty goal like exercising 3-4 times a week, start small. Try parking your car a little farther away from work or campus to increase your daily physical activity. Then build from there!
4. Focus on Your Self-Talk. Try to notice your inner dialogue. Positive self-talk is essential to building your confidence. When you notice self-critical or limiting self-talk, try your best to replace that dialogue with positive affirmations about yourself and your capabilities. This may feel challenging at first, but if you do this at least once each day, you’ll notice that it will come more easily to you in a relatively short time.
5. Surround Yourself with People Who Support and Appreciate You. Seek out and cultivate relationships with friends, family, and other positive people who can be supportive and encouraging, especially during those times where you need a little extra boost.
Building self-confidence takes time, effort, and commitment. Make sure to give yourself time to work on your self-confidence. And if you feel stuck or overwhelmed, seek professional help. Counselors, therapists or emotional wellness coaches can provide additional guidance to help you on your journey to building your confidence.
If you find that taking these steps feel unusually challenging, check out our blog post “Your Subconscious Belief System is Limiting Your Success - Here's How to Change It” to learn more about what may be holding you back.
It’s never too late to start building your self-confidence and finding your inner strength as a young woman. You have all the power to become the best version of yourself and find your own courage and power. By understanding and accepting yourself, being kind to yourself, and reaching out to positive people in your life, you can develop a strong sense of self-worth and pride in yourself and your capabilities.