Do you often encounter difficulties speaking up when it matters? Do you always feel sorry for everyday actions? Are you always feeling “not deserving of something” or “not capable of doing something”? Do you lack boundaries or always encounter difficulties making your own choices? If yes, then you need to understand these are warning signs of low self-esteem. Lack of self-confidence has a way of reducing one’s quality of life in several ways – it can lead to depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and many more. If you’re currently experiencing these aforementioned issues due to low self-esteem, the good news is that a few psychological techniques can help you overcome them.
In the rest of this self-esteem related post, you’ll discover 4 top psychological techniques for instantly helping yourself look and feel more confident, especially when around other people.
1. Stay off social media
Using social media has its good and bad sides today. One problem people encounter with social media is that it makes them compare themselves with other people. If this is what you do, you may want to stay off social media for a while.
Here’s the thing; everything you see on social media platforms doesn’t always reflect reality. In most cases, people only get to post the glamorous things in their lives. When you compare yourself to these people, it becomes pretty difficult for you to see your own achievements.
The bottom line here is that going on social media when you’re not sure about yourself may end up killing your self esteem. You may also need to avoid social media when trying to do something challenging. Before challenging yourself, a good psychological technique is to remind yourself of the good things you’ve achieved in the past year’s, months, or days.
2. Practice positive self-talk
Negative self-talk about the things you lack can always impact your self-confidence in ways you can’t imagine. Negative self-talk will only mess with your subconscious, making you believe you can’t handle certain things. So, try and avoid negative self-talk and instead practice positive self-talk. It’s okay to have negative self-talk once in a while but when it comes, you need to find ways to turn it into positive self-talk.
3. Reverse negative assumptions
Are you the type that often makes negative assumptions about the skills you lack? If yes, you need to understand that this practice can also mess with your self-confidence. One way to address this issue is by reversing every negative assumption you have about yourself.
For instance, let’s assume you’ve always had it in mind that you’re bad at public speaking. To address this negative assumption, the first thing you need is to reverse the assumption by saying “I’m a great public speaker and people will surely be happy to listen to my ideas” everyday. By repeatedly saying these words out or in your head, you’ll be able to improve your self-confidence and get prepared for public speaking.
4. Wear things that make you feel confident
Your outfit is certainly a form of self-expression – it can affect your mental wellness and emotional state. With the right outfit (such as your jewellery and clothes), you can achieve a positive body image, which is important to increase your overall self confidence
The bottom line is that taking time to choose your outfit is one of the most effective psychological techniques for improving your confidence in front of other people.
