Do you really need confidence building exercises?
Some people seem to be born with a high level of confidence, but for the rest of us, it’s something that must be earned and constantly developed. When you start thinking negatively about yourself, it’s hard to convince yourself otherwise.
You need to go beyond positive thinking and really believe that what you’re saying is true. If you aren’t sure how to get started with this, consider working through these 12 simple activities.
Compliment a stranger
It might feel awkward, but it will make you feel good. When people hear compliments, it makes them feel good about themselves and about the world around them. You never know where your compliment may go; it could end up back in your lap! This is one of the most fun confidence building exercises.
Stand up straight
Stand up straight and tall with your shoulders back. Hold this position for a few seconds. Let go, relax and repeat. Of the confidence building exercises, this one will help you feel more confident because it makes you feel like you’re on top of things.
Talk to yourself
When we’re alone, it’s easy to talk to ourselves. We may think that talking to ourselves is a sign of being crazy, but there are many benefits of talking to yourself. This may sound like one of the weirder confidence building exercises.
When you talk about your problems and concerns with yourself, you can find solutions for them easily. You can’t solve a problem until you know what it is and have identified the root cause. When we talk about our problems with others, they give us suggestions or advice that doesn’t always help us solve our problems.
Talking to yourself gives you an opportunity to analyze your situation from different perspectives and come up with unique solutions that would never occur to anyone else.
Make eye contact with people you make purchases from or talk to throughout the day (barista, cashier, etc)
It’s an easy way to start small and build up your confidence. The first time I did this I was surprised at how many people looked away as soon as they saw me looking at them! It was kind of embarrassing but also helped me realize that people aren’t always looking at you because they hate you — it’s just human nature.
Call a business and ask to speak to someone you admire
This one is totally easy and one of the most surprisingly effective confidence building exercises. Find someone who inspires you and call their office. Tell them who you are, what you do, and ask if they would be willing to meet up over coffee or drinks sometime soon. Even if they say no, this exercise is great for building confidence because it teaches us that rejection isn’t scary — it’s just part of life. This exercise makes the top of the list of confidence building exercises.
Smile at everyone you see for an entire day
Smiling is one of the most powerful ways to boost your self-esteem and happiness. It also helps other people feel good, too! So when you smile at someone as they walk by on the street or in an elevator, they’re more likely to smile back at you and it creates a positive feedback loop. This positive feedback loop is an excellent addition to your confidence building exercises.
Listen to music that makes you happy and energetic
Music has an amazing power to influence moods and emotions. So crank up the tunes and dance around like nobody’s watching! This can be a great way to get yourself in the mood for an upcoming event where you want to feel confident and energized. Right before I defended my dissertation, I had a mini-dance party on Zoom with some friends!
Unfollow people on social media who make you feel bad about yourself
Social media can be a great way to stay connected with friends, but it also has the potential to make us feel like crap about ourselves. If you’re feeling down on yourself, take some time to unfollow people who post things that make you feel bad or insecure.
Wear a super confident outfit
Dress up in something that makes you feel good about yourself. The more comfortable you are, the more confident you’ll be.
Make a list of all your accomplishments
Write down all the things you’ve accomplished in life, whether it’s getting good grades or achieving a certain goal at work or school. Be sure to include big wins as well as small ones, because even if you don’t feel confident about yourself right now, there’s no doubt that you have some amazing qualities and abilities!
Do something small and silly to embarrass yourself on purpose
You’re going to do something small and silly to embarrass yourself on purpose.
You’re going to do it in front of a mirror, so you can see exactly how you look as you do it.
You’re going to make a fool of yourself and then laugh at yourself for doing so.
Why? Because we all want to be confident in our own skin. Sometimes, we get caught up in thinking about how others see us, instead of just being ourselves.
This exercise is designed to help you overcome that fear, and remind yourself that there’s nothing wrong with being who you are — even if it means making a fool of yourself every now and then!
Compliment yourself every day for a week
Start by looking in the mirror and saying something positive about yourself out loud. Then make a habit of doing this every morning and evening, no matter how hard it feels at first. It’s best if you begin with one-word compliments, such as “I’m smart” or “I’m funny”. Once you’ve gotten used to this exercise it’s time to go bigger! Try complimenting yourself on more than just one aspect of yourself each day until eventually, you’re confident enough to say nice things about all aspects of your personality.
Final thoughts on confidence building exercises
By consistently striving to improve yourself, or just small bits at a time, you will begin to feel better about yourself in the long run. You’ll have a better sense of who you are, and that is the first step toward becoming a better person. So what’s the next step? Start trying out some of these weird exercises to learn more about yourself and remember that no one else can do them for you.