no matter what you’re doing in life, confidence is important to have. confidence is how you feel about yourself and it is the basis of success in all areas of your life. i will say confidence is a work in progress but sharing my best tips on how you can put it into practice and achieve it. 

1. stay true to your individuality – do your family and friends see you? when you compromise who you are, that’s insecurity which is the opposite of confidence. be comfortable with what you think and be 100% honest with yourself and everyone else. it’s liberating. 

2. body image – i think we can all relate to this especially when we are looking at ourselves in the mirror in our nudeness. we all have things that we’re not crazy about but we have learn to be comfortable with our bodies. we should learn to enhance what we have and reframe our thinking with our bodies. our bodies are incredible and do so much for us. 

3. keep trying, keep showing up – just by doing things through repetition, you’ll gain confidence – even if you make mistakes and fail in the process. repetition of behaviors makes your brain believe that the actions you’re taking are important. 

4. be happy for others – it makes you a happier, confident person, i promise. if you aren’t given something in life, i think it is a gift to observe as it is given to others. know that no one in the world is perfect or has everything. we have all been given strengths, weaknesses, good things and not so good things. we have to play to our strengths and appreciate and value who we are and what we have. 

5. step outside of your comfort zone / keep learning- i remember when i went skiing for the first time, i was excited and eager to learn but i fell over and over again. i was embarrassed and my confidence shattered each time. i had to remind myself that i was on the bunny slope for a reason, i was learning something new of course i wasn’t going to be good right away. now that i know how to ski a little more it feels rewarding because it’s a fun activity to do during the long New England winter.  it’s a confidence booster and fulfilling to learn something new. it shows your brain that you are capable.  

6. your mind/mindset shift – all you really need, you don’t need anything else. maybe i’m the only one, but have you ever given yourself a pep talk “i can do this.” where do you think that’s coming from? think more about what fuels your confidence or lack of confidence in what you’re thinking about. 

7. make small promises to yourself and keep them – for example: your friend says they are going to show up for you and they do, you gain confidence in them. if they don’t show up, you lose confidence in them. the same applies to yourself. practice keeping your word and you’ll really gain confidence. if you say you’re going to do something and don’t do it, your self-esteem diminishes. 

8. passions/hobbies – what lights you up? do things in your daily life that you are good at. nothing is better than knowing you are a good mom, baker, runner. whatever it is that brings you excitement, do it and do more of it. 

9. take care of yourself – upkeeping your appearance is only a small percent of your confidence but it is still important. this applies to how you’re taking care of yourself physically and mentally.