Building Your Confidence

At some point in our lives, many of us struggle with having confidence. Everyone has different ways of building their confidence and mine was using the "fake it until you make it" approach. I started by doing the things below- even if I didn't truly believe them.

• Don't compare yourself to others- no one has the same life as you. You are made to be different from others and you will have a different timeline than other people in their lives.
• Look at everything you have already achieved- from small accomplishments to big ones, you have already achieved a lot. Think about classes you have done well in, friendships you've had, promotions you've received, etc. All of these are accomplishments in your life and something you should be proud of.
• Think of your strengths and talents- everyone is good at something. Think about the things you like to do that you are good at! Start doing those things more and it will help you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride.
• Take care of your body- this doesn't mean just exercise, although that wouldn't hurt, this means taking care of your body overall. Take showers/baths, drink water, eat good food, wash your face, etc. All of these things will help you look and feel good!
• Practice positive self talk- stop saying negative things to and about yourself. Is there always room for improvement? Yes. But it is how you think about improvement that is key. Look at it like you are wanting to get even better and become a better version of yourself rather than thinking you need to be better.
• Detoxify your social media- remove things from your feed that don't make you happy or don't make you feel good. I used to follow a lot of celebrities and influencers which made me feel like I wasn't good enough because I didn't look like them, go on vacations like them, eat like them, etc. Once I removed them from my feed, I stopped having those self doubts.

One day, I didn't feel like I was faking it anymore. I genuinely felt more confident in myself. It can be a long process to gain confidence but it leads to a happier life which is absolutely worth it.