Much of the good things we can do in our lives do not depend so much on our innate abilities, but on the way in which we believe in our possibilities of facing challenges.
In other words: practically no one succeeds in their most important projects simply because they have a talent. It is more important to have a mix of luck (which, we will not deny, influences) and self-confidence, a psychological disposition that allows us to move from desires to actions, when we get down to work. In fact, without this factor we won’t even consider too many projects to begin with.
Now, the level of self-confidence is not fixed, but comes and goes depending on our experiences and the way we interpret them. So that… How to regain self-confidence if we stop enjoying its beneficial influence due to self-esteem problems? Let’s look at several recommendations to promote this change in mental framework that allows us to believe in ourselves again.
One of the best-known phenomena in the world of psychology is the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy effect. Basically, it is a concept that serves to indicate the way in which Many times the simple act of predicting that something will happen increases the chances that the predicted event will occur or at least one very similar.
Let’s think, for example, about what can happen to us if we are walking down the street and walk past a lot of people sitting on a low wall and for some reason we think that they will find our way of walking strange; Surely, we will try to take “conscious” control of our legs and walking will be somewhat cumbersome, strange to look at.
Well, something very similar happens with self-confidence. Trusting in our possibilities can be harmful if we have a very inflated self-esteem that leads us to overestimate our virtues and abilities, but in most cases, it helps us get closer to our goals and progress in our personal and life. professional.
In this way, self-confidence is a phenomenon linked to self-esteem that predisposes us to take the first steps to carry out complicated tasks or that pose a challenge.
Unfortunately, there are many situations in life that are capable of weakening our self-confidence. It doesn’t have to be a sudden decline, it can be gradual, as often happens with aging. However, this tendency can be counteracted by adopting useful habits to regain self-confidence.
How to regain self-confidence
These are some tips that, once incorporated into your daily life in the form of habits, will significantly increase the chances of your self-confidence becoming strong again. Of course, none of them are enough on their own to achieve this goal, so it is best that you change several of these and adapt them to your way of life and personal and professional context.
1. Create schedules
The first thing to do is break with the passive attitude towards one’s own life of those who have lost self-confidence. This will activate you so that, little by little, the idea of starting to do things that you didn’t think you were capable of seems less crazy.
So, start by setting simple guidelines to structure your day to day and maintain regularity in the way you distribute activities week after week. It is good that you dedicate yourself exclusively to this first step for about a month. Once established in your routine, it will be much easier for you to do the following.
Furthermore, although it may seem like a small thing, this first milestone is already a reason to see yourself in a better light; After all, most people do not put this philosophy of discipline into practice, which brings them problems that you will be avoiding from that moment on.
2. Do moderate exercise
Along the same lines of getting going, regular exercise helps a lot. Not only will it make you feel better physically and it will allow you to avoid some of the risk of suffering from diseases. Furthermore, in a few months or even weeks, The evidence that you are capable of breaking your own records will be revealed in the shape of your body.
3. Socialize as equals
Another aspect of life that serves to regain self-confidence is to stop seeing conversations as moments in which others test us, or in which we can make ourselves ridiculous. Think that you are not there to please, and that you are also perfectly capable of finding ways not only to show who you are, but to get to know your interlocutors and assess whether it is worth dedicating your time to them.
4. Learn to identify self-sabotaging thoughts
Rebuilding your self-confidence means making an effort, exposing yourself even a little to situations in which we can feel vulnerable because there are always challenges to solve. This makes it very easy to hold on to excuses for not moving forward.
To avoid this, carry a small notepad with you and remember to pay attention to your thoughts when you focus your attention on those goals that await you. If any of them are an excuse to let him be, he writes it down and tries to remember it so that he does not become a threat again due to exposure to temptation.
Think of a project that you can dedicate yourself to for months or years, plan it, and execute it dedicating some time to it every week. It is important that progress is easy to measure and that if you do it well it is cumulative.
For example, learn a language yourself, start a small business parallel to your regular job, learn a form of art or craft that you can master and perfect, etc.
Are you looking for psychological assistance?
Having professional help is always a great help when it comes to strengthening self-esteem and stopping having self-confidence problems. If you are interested in this option, you can count on our team of psychologists at the center UPAD Psychology & Coaching, located in Madrid (Calle Rey Francisco, nº 27). To see our contact details, click here.
