How to Build Self Confidence

You want to be confident and feel confident, but what if you're starting with little or no confidence? How do you get from Point A to Point B? True self-confidence isn't an overnight acquisition. It takes dedication to realize you are a good human being that is worthy of respect and love.

Building Self Confidence

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   Recognize your insecurities. What does that voice in the back of your mind say? What makes you uncomfortable or ashamed of yourself? This could be anything from acne, to regrets, friends at school or a past traumatic or negative experience. Whatever is making you feel unworthy, ashamed, or inferior, identify it, give it a name, and write it down. You can also tear these written pieces to start feeling positive on those points.
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   Talk about it with friends and loved ones. Wear it on your sleeve. Each day you should chip away at it; wear it down. There's no quick fix. Get to the root of the problem; focus on it and understand that you need to resolve each issue before you can move on. Check if it's an old past emotion and if it is really still relevant or applicable in your life today. And that doesn't mean you have to get rid of whatever makes you feel bad (many times, you simply can't). You need to learn to accept yourself, your past, your circumstances as they are, without necessarily thinking of them as "bad".
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   Bounce back from your mistakes. Remember that no one is perfect. Even the most confident people have insecurities. At some point in any of our lives, we may feel we lack something. That is reality. Learn that life is full of bumps down the road. And that often these insecure feelings come and go, depending on where we are, who we are with, the mood we're in, how we are feeling. In other words, they are not constant.
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   Identify your successes. Everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Give yourself permission to take pride in them. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you've declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized. Express yourself, whether it's through art, music, writing, etc. Find something you enjoy. Everyone is born with talents and strengths. You can develop and excel in yours. If it's difficult to name two or three things you have some ability in or just plain love to do, think about things others do that you would like to do too and take some lessons or join an enthusiasts club. When you're following your passion, not only will it have a therapeutic effect, but you'll feel unique and accomplished, all of which can help build your self confidence. Plus, adding a variety of interests to your life will not only make you more confident, but it will increase your chances of meeting compatible friends!
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   Be thankful for what you have. A lot of the times, at the root of insecurity and lack of confidence is a feeling of not having enough of something, whether it's emotional validation, good luck, money, etc. By acknowledging and appreciating what you do have, you can combat the feeling of being incomplete and unsatisfied. Finding that inner peace will do wonders for your confidence.
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   Be Positive, even if you don't feel the same way. Avoid self-pity, or the pity and sympathy of others. Never allow others to make you feel inferior--they can only do so if you let them. If you continue to loathe and belittle yourself, others are going to do and believe likewise. Instead, speak positively about yourself, about your future, and about your progress. Do not be afraid to project your strengths and qualities to others. By doing so, you reinforce those ideas in your mind and encourage your growth in a positive direction.
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   Accept compliments gracefully. Don't roll your eyes and say, "Yeah, right," or shrug it off. Take it to heart and respond positively ("Thank you" and a smile works well).
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   Look in the mirror and smile. Studies surrounding what's called the "facial feedback theory" suggest that the expressions on your face can actually encourage your brain to register certain emotions. So by looking in the mirror and smiling every day, you might feel happier with yourself and more confident in the long run.
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   Fake it. Along the same lines of smiling to make yourself feel happy, acting confident might actually make you believe it. Pretend you're a completely confident version of you; go through the motions and see how you feel!
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    Stick to your principles. It might be tough, but if you don't have something you can believe in, you don't have anything. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. No matter what's happened in your life, you can always lay claim to the fact that from this day forward, you've followed your principles to the best of your ability.
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    Help others. When you know you're kind to the people around you, and are making a positive difference in other people's lives (even if it's just being kinder to the person who serves you coffee in the morning), you'll know that you are a positive force in the world--which will boost your self confidence.
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    Avoid perfectionism: Perfectionism paralyzes you and keeps you from accomplishing your goals.

Help Building Confidence

Sample Ways to Overcome Shyness

Sample Ways to Build Confidence

Tips

• Condition yourself to talk positively about yourself. Every time your mind wanders and say you are not apt at it, pause for a minute, undo those negative vibes and say you can do it. At least you should make an attempt to accomplish that daunting task. With that, you will learn more about yourself.
• Exercise and eat healthily. Exercise raises endorphins and makes one feel happier and healthier. It is certainly an easy and effective way to boost your self-confidence.
• When you are feeling terribly insecure, write down your positive traits and read them back. This feedback would give you surprising results.
• Do not be afraid to push yourself beyond your physical or mental limits. Such a pressure would help you see how easily things can be achieved and thereby helps you hone skills. Step out of your comfort zone.
• Avoid perfectionism. Perfectionism paralyzes you and keeps you from accomplishing your goals.
• You can provide yourself with an extra dose of confidence by using the Best Me Technique of self-hypnosis to pre-experience the rewards of a long-term goal, thereby reducing the stress.

Warnings

• Don't be overly kind to everyone, usually you will end up being taken advantage of.
• Do not mistake being loud for confidence. Some loud people cover their insecurities. If you are happy with yourself, you are confident.
• Do not get wrapped up in your mistakes and dwell on bad points. They could turn out to be a healthy contrast to your good points or even give you something to improve. There is no feeling like being good at something you were really bad at.

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MUST READ: 14 Reasons Not To Drink Energy Drink

The next time you are looking for ways to get energy, think about alternative ways before you buy energy drinks. Consuming excess amount of everything is harmful and especially this type of drinks. So instead of solely relying on sugar and caffeine to get you through busy day, take a walk or drink plain water to feel more natural and long-lasting energy.
1) Side effects
If you were not already aware, energy drinks have some extremely serious side effects. Some of the side effects are: agitation, tremors, stomach upset, chest pain, dizziness, seizures, insomnia and even heart attacks. Just because they are easily available and look innocent enough does not mean that they can’t do some serious harm.
2) Stress and anxiety
In fact, one of the most convincing reasons to stop drinking energy drinks is that they can cause increased anxiety and stress. Some energy drinks are actually found to contain more caffeine than it is advertised on their labels. Too much caffeine has been known to cause jitters and the chronic stress, and a racing heart from massive amounts of caffeine is not all that comforting either.
3) High in sugar
Besides providing with artificial energy, these drinks typically contain a lot of sugar. Some drinks are known to have an average of 15 tsp of sugar. Aside from getting the dreaded sugar crash, sugar can leave you dehydrated and, as it is also known, suppress the immune system, increase inflammation, lead to tooth decay and weight gain.
4) Mood changes
If you regularly consume energy drinks, you may want to think carefully your beverage choice. Studies have shown that those who frequently drink the stimulant caffeine have been known to have reduced serotonin levels. This substance is known as the feel good neurotransmitter. A depletion of this hormone has been linked to low mood, anxiety and depression.
5) Taxes organs
Another danger of energy drinks is that they can be taxing on your organs. Your heart, liver, brain, digestive tract and kidneys are all working as if you are in a flight or fight situation and ultimately get drained from all the work. Energy drinks trigger your organs to react as if they are in a dangerous situation so you can imagine how bad it can be.
6) Insomnia
While you might like the sudden surge of energy and vigor when you are trying to make it through a tiresome afternoon, it is not so helpful when you are ready to turn in for the night. Such drinks can cause you to lose out on deep and restful sleep at night so that you end up turning to it again the next day. Quit the cycle and get energy in more natural, safe ways through workout, water and healthy snacks.
7) Cost
These days people are pretty much strapped for cash. Energy drinks can end up costing you up to $900 per year or even more. The average energy drink can cost you between $3-4. So if you have got a daily habit, you are spending enough money to snag yourself whole lotta new shoes, clothes and other fabulous items.
 Artificial sweeteners
Diet or low calorie energy drinks tend to use sweeteners such as aspartame. In response to the ever growing obesity problem, companies began producing versions without sugar of their energy drinks some years ago. A serving of their sugar free flavors only cost 20 calories but the bad news is that the aspartame used to sweeten this kind of drinks can be even worse for you than sugar.
9) Artificial flavors and colors
Most energy drinks on market shelves are not made from real juice, so they need artificial colorings and flavorings to make them taste and look more appealing. You will be terrified to know that certain energy drinks flavors are chock full of toxic chemical coloring. Manufacturers use several different food dyes, but one of the most common is red 30 even those which are not red. It has been tied to reactions ranging from migraines and headaches to temper tantrums, dizziness, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, uncontrollable screaming and crying, nervousness, kicking, inability to sit still or concentrate in children.
10) Adrenal fatigue
Some people become tired after caffeine intake. This is a symptom of adrenal fatigue when the adrenalin system of your body becomes overtaxed by constant high caffeine consumption. The answer is not to increase caffeine even more but to reduce its amount, detox and get the adrenal glands back to a normal state. Remember it is hard to choose a safe dose because it varies from person to person and according to an individual tolerance. Between 499 milligrams to 999 milligrams in a day period will probably lead to some of the more severe side effects.
11) B Vitamins
This vitamin is one of the ingredients in almost every energetic drink. It is certainly beneficial to take recommended daily ratio but more than 34 mg of B3 or Niacin can cause flushing of your skin. Consumption of 2999 or more can result in liver toxicity. More than 99 mg of B6 can cause sensory nerve problems such as burning sensation and skin lesions.
12) Ginkgo Biloba
Gingko is some kind of herb and can cause some minor side effects in different people. These effects vary from headaches, nausea and diarrhea to dizziness, heart palpitations and restlessness. What is more ginkgo biloba can interact with other medication such as anti-depressants and blood thinners. One recent study found that this herb caused thyroid cancer in research.
13) L-Theanine
This amino acid is derived from green tea and most energy drinks and shots have begun putting so called green tea extract in their beverages. It can produce a different type of alertness than caffeine and there has been no scientific evidence of it causing adverse side effects. Some people have reported feeling light headed after consuming a dose of more than 299 mg of L-Theanine.
14) Allergic reactions
The most common energy drink ingredient caffeine can lead to several allergic reactions such as rash, itching, hives, swelling of the tongue, mouth, face or lips, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, vomiting.