5 Simple (& Effective!) Ways to Boost Confidence

Several years ago at a former job, we were participating in a team-building activity where everyone writes something positive about the other person on a slip of paper and that person then reads the notes out loud. Someone had written on mine that one of the things they admired the most about me was my confidence. I don’t remember what the other notes  said but this has always stuck out to me because it was such an empowering compliment.

Self-confidence is defined as trusting in your self’s abilities, qualities and judgement. For me, having confidence in myself typically leads to success and having a positive outlook on life. But to be perfectly honest, there are days I don’t feel very confident. 

Keep reading for my five tips to boost confidence and make positive changes to your overall state of mind. Plus, a special offer, just for you! >>

1. Visualization

Do you have that pesky self-doubt that creeps into your thoughts and bring you down? You’re not alone. However, if you can turn your negative thoughts into positive ones and self-confidence will be sure to follow. 

One way to do so is with visualization. I’ve become more interested in visualization over this past year– I’ve heard about it in countless podcasts, read about it in books, and it was a big theme at one of the retreats I went to earlier this summer. Visualization is basically a process in which you eliminate negative self-thoughts as well as prevent new negative thoughts from forming.

It does take time and practice, I’m definitely not a visualization all-star but I have noticed that if I do start thinking negative thoughts, I can put a stop to them quickly and combat them with more positive thinking. It sounds a bit hokey, I know, but it really does work! If I start having self-doubts or feeling that I’m not good enough or start getting into the vicious what if I fail modes, I tell myself ‘no… here’s what will happen when you succeed’ and start giving myself more positive affirmations and will actually visualize myself succeeding in that role or task. Since you’re changing your mindset to be more purposeful you will see results and it’s amazing what it can do for your self-confidence. Don’t believe me? Try it out! 

2. Change It Up

Often when I’m feeling down on myself I like to make a change– freshen up my hair, switch up my wardrobe, anything that’s going to make me feel like a million.. and hopefully make others notice my self-confidence as well. Sometimes the change has to be bigger– maybe a new job if the one you have just isn’t working for you, starting a new workout routine, or making changes to your lifestyle. When you’re not feeling 100, your self-confidence takes a hit. 

Change, especially big changes, aren’t always easy. If you are looking to make a major change in your life, break it down into monthly goals- IE: I will work out X times this month, or by the end of the month, I will lose X pounds. When you break your goals down into manageable chunks, you’re more likely to achieve them and be more confident in your success! 

3. Smile!

Another way to boost confidence is to smile more! I’ve always been self-conscious about my teeth and how yellow they look (coffee and wine drinker over here!) so I recently started using the Smile Brilliant at-home teeth whitening kit. 

Here’s what my teeth looked like before just a couple months ago before I started using the whitening system: 

You can definitely see that they look so much brighter and whiter. The whitening system arrives with putty for you to take a mold of your mouth for dental impressions in order to create custom whitening trays. You simply make the molds (it’s SO easy!), mail the molds back to Smile Brilliant and in about a week they send you back the custom trays. The kit also comes with several syringes filled with whitening gel (each is good for 3-4 treatments) as well as desensitizing gel. 

I use the system before bed– usually while I’m relaxing and watching TV or reading, or while I’m working on the blog. Since my teeth do experience some sensitivity, I usually leave the whitening gel on for 30-45 minutes and then apply the desensitizing gel for 15-20 minutes. However, if your teeth aren’t sensitive, you can apply the system daily for 1-3 hours to really see amazing results. After just a couple of sessions, my teeth already looked whiter and after several the stains had lifted!  

I was never a fan of whitening strips and professional whitening can be incredibly expensive, but  Smile Brilliant offers an easy and affordable way for you to put your best smile forward. 

Use code AGOODHUE for 15% off your Smile Brilliant order. PLUS you can enter for a chance to win a whitening kit of your very own… now THAT should really make you smile! 

4. Learn a New Skill

I’ve always been a person with a go-getter attitude who tries to figure out solutions to my problems before asking for any help. Often times when my confidence takes a hit, it’s because I feel that I can’t do something myself or I’m feeling unprepared. I try to mitigate those feelings by learning new skills. If I want to feel more confident in my makeup skills, I watch tutorials on blending eye shadow or if I want to bring more traffic to my blog, I read articles on how to utilize Pinterest better, etc. 

There’s no excuse for “I don’t know how” or I can’t do this” (well, except maybe when I can’t open the new jar of pickles myself…), you can always learn. There are sites such as Skillshare or Udemy with TONS of online classes in virtually any subject. When you have a stronger belief in your abilities and skills, your confidence level will match. 

5. Dance It Out

“Some days you gotta dance; Live it up when you get the chance; ‘Cause when the world doesn’t make no sense and you’re feeling just a little too tense; Gotta loosen up those chains and dance”

These lyrics bring me back to my high school Dixie Chicks loving days and this was always one of my favorite feel-good songs. When you’re not feeling the best version of yourself, sometimes the best remedy is to dance all the bad energy out. If dance clubs aren’t your scene, simply pop in your earbuds, throw on Spotify and dance it out! That feel good energy will take over and you’ll feel on top of the world. So get out there and dance! 

Do you do any of these? How do you boost confidence? 

Smile Brilliant provided me a teeth whitening kit for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own; no monetary compensation has been provided. Thank you for supporting the brands that support A Good Hue.