How To Boost Self Confidence With Inexpensive Activities
Every woman should have access to valuable and inexpensive tools and techniques to help them navigate life’s struggles and boost self-esteem. Many of us don’t ever access these though, instead, struggle on with low self confidence because there’s always someone or something that we feel we need to put first.
When we face challenges, such as chronic illness, our body and mind work together, in what often feels like a plot against us. This often results in our mental health being put last, which makes it so easy to get stuck in a negative mindset.
Simply put this can lead to a disastrous knock on effect where we actually fail to build self confidence due to negative thinking. This triggers high stress, low self-belief and impacts relationships amongst other outcomes.
Journaling can help you to change your mindset so I have written a self awareness book dedicated to understanding your emotions so that you can engage with your inner voice. The journal prompts in the book are designed to nurture a positive mindset. Find out more by visiting my Strength Of Tears Shop.
It’s so important that you feel empowered to take back control of your mental wellbeing and break through any barriers that may be preventing you from reaching your goals. It doesn’t have to be expensive to build self-confidence so in this blog I’m sharing 10 ways that you can do this.
5 Ways You Can Fail To Build Self Confidence
Before we can discuss activities to build self-confidence, we need to look at what the barriers to doing this are. By this, I mean, our inner talk and thought processes. Negative thoughts are a common companion to chronic illness and can erode your self-esteem, making you feel unworthy.
When negative thoughts and self-talk build up over time, they can have significant effects on your mental and emotional well-being. This can lead to a lack of belief in your abilities and you may begin to doubt yourself. so we have to recognise these thoughts and learn how to build self confidence.
When you engage in negative self-talk, you engage in an internal conversation that can hinder your self worth and prevent you from believing in your own abilities. Negative self-talk is stressful, but journaling can help you. Read this blog about how to identify and change negative self talk.
Negative self-talk could be any thought that undermines your ability and faith to bring positive change in your life. Here are five potential consequences:
1. Increased stress and anxiety: Negative thoughts and self-talk often revolve around self-criticism, doubt, and pessimism. Constantly bombarding yourself with such thoughts raises stress levels and leads to heightened anxiety.
2. Persistent negative mindset: A buildup of negative thoughts can form a pattern of thinking that becomes a habit. This can influence how you see the world, causing you to focus on the negatives and overlook the positives. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and further reinforce negativity.
3. Impaired problem-solving: Negative self-talk can cloud your judgment, affecting your ability to make effective decisions or find solutions. When your mind is overwhelmed by negativity, it becomes challenging to think clearly which can lead to a host of unsolved problems.
4. Impact on relationships: Negative self-talk will affect your relationships as you are likely to project your negativity onto others. It becomes challenging to connect with others, leading to strained relationships and potential isolation.
5. Mental health issues: Left unaddressed negative thoughts and self-talk contributes to the development or worsening of mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders. Seeking professional help is crucial if you find yourself struggling with persistent negative thoughts.
It’s essential to be aware of the impact that negative thoughts and self-talk can have on your overall well-being. Recognising and addressing these patterns is an important step towards cultivating a more positive and constructive mindset.
10 Self Confidence Boosting Activities
These inexpensive activities are easy to access but may need to be adapted according to your chronic illness and mental health. But if you want to build your confidence you will need to make it and yourself a priority so that you can engage in these suggested exercises:
1. Exercise:
Engaging in physical activity releases endorphins, improves your mood, and enhances your overall well-being. You can go for a walk, swim or do home workouts using online resources where you can adapt the exercises to your needs.
2. Practice positive affirmations:
This is a way to kickstart some self-love where you need to repeat positive statements to yourself daily, such as “I am confident,” or “I believe in myself.” This can help rewire your mindset and boost self-confidence.
“The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.” Louise Hay
3. Set achievable goals:
Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. If you need support with this, download my free guide to setting well-being goals here. Accomplishing these smaller tasks gives you a sense of achievement and boosts your confidence.
4. Learn something new:
Taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill is an act of self-care that is so important, yet many of us don’t make time for this. There are many free online resources that can help you learn something new and build your confidence in the process.
5. Rewarding success:
Celebrating successes, however small, boosts confidence and self-esteem. Recognising your achievements and focusing on the things you’ve done well can help you develop more confidence in your abilities.
6. Create a support network:
Spend time with supportive and positive individuals who uplift you and believe in your abilities. Their encouragement can significantly boost your self-esteem.
7. Improve your body language:
Power poses are a fun way to do this as written about in this article. Stand tall with your feet wide apart, hands on your hips, and shoulders back before doing something you’re anxious about. Research shows that these postures have a positive impact on your self-confidence.
8. Dress for success:
Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself. I find this one of the most effective ways to boost my self-confidence and have even started wearing make-up on a regular basis again. Dressing well can positively influence your self-perception and boost your confidence.
9. Celebrate your achievements:
Take time to acknowledge and celebrate your successes, no matter how small. I plan rewards for completing goals, triggering a dopamine rush which gives a surge of pleasure. This article explains how rewarding your accomplishments boosts your self-confidence.
10. Practice self-care:
Take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Prioritise activities that make you feel good, such as your sleep routine, practicing mindfulness or meditation, journaling or getting creative.
In conclusion
Building your self-confidence is not something that will happen overnight but with small steps, time and effort you will develop feelings of self assurance. Remember to be patient with yourself, practice self-care and smile.
Be kind to yourself whilst you work on changing a negative inner narrative to one that supports your growth. Years of negative self-talk can’t be undone quickly but by being aware of what is holding you back from having positive thoughts, you will be able to address and gradually change your mindset.
By grabbing the issues holding you back with both hands you will allow yourself more success. These 10 inexpensive or free activities are crucial for your journey of growth and will boost self esteem. Remember that this isn’t a quick fix so you have reasonable expectations for your progress and you’ll get there.
You can find a variety of activities to increase your self-esteem in the Strength Of Tears resources, such as my self-awareness journal and life coaching to help you build healthy habits, improve communication skills, and manage stress levels.
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