Kick your insecurities to the curb
By: Raquel Van Ry
How many times have you heard the phrase, “confidence is key”? While I must agree with whichever wise person first made this statement, it’s of little-to-no value unless you’re ready to be in a confident headspace. Confidence is a powerful tool that can help you make a good impression at a first date, earn you a job at an interview, or (best case scenario) make you feel absolutely fan-fricken-tastic about yourself and who you are. Being more confident sounds easy, but in practice it’s hard to know where to start, especially on those days when looking in the mirror is something you dread for fear of discovering a new zit, wrinkle or a reflection you don’t love. The reality is, even Beyonce [probably] has those days, it’s perfectly natural and unavoidable. But, there are a few steps you can take to boost your self esteem and feel more confident in any situation. – here’s a few to get started.
“Fake it to make it”
A phrase we’ve heard many a times, only this one doesn’t require an instruction manual. In order to fake confidence, recall a time when you genuinely felt good about yourself – whether you hit a high note in the shower, pulled off a YouTube-inspired hairstyle or especially liked the way your socks looked in your shoes. Our body and our mind have memories of such events and you can actually channel previous emotions and re-enact them as needed. Close your eyes and recall a time when you felt confident, note how you held yourself; simply standing up straight and holding your head high can hugely inspire feelings of confidence. Remember what you were wearing, how you were breathing. Take a deep breath, throw on your favourite shirt that makes you feel fantastic, and fake your confidence until in becomes truth.
Be prepared with backup
While confidence is a journey, we don’t always have time to build it up slowly if we have an important presentation or test coming up. In such situations you can ‘cheat’ and conjure up your inner confidence with our good friend Berg. Bergamot essential oil is known as the oil of confidence, as its citrusy scent when inhaled works to naturally calm your nerves and refresh your mind, leaving you feeling more confident and ready to face whatever challenges the day may bring. The best part is, you can easily keep bergamot on you at all times in your bag or pocket for a quick whiff of the good stuff if you don’t have a diffuser at home.
Embrace it all, but focus on the positives
Right now, take a moment to think of a sentence that makes you feel good. It could be something short like, “you’re a rockstar” or something as wild as “who cares what the world thinks, I’m amazing, my hair is nice, and I’m the best at cribbage”, or whatever you need to feel good about yourself no matter the situation. Keep this mantra with you at all times, and during the times when you feel weak and defeated, repeat your mantra in your mind (or out loud) until you feel your mental pedestal coming back together. You’re bound to face criticism throughout your life, and it’s bound to make you feel less than amazing, and that’s OKAY! Accept the criticism (unless it’s false, in which case you should ignore it and walk away) and move on in your life. Negative feelings are just a small blip in the miracle that is your life. Prioritize the positive thoughts you feel no matter how small they might be, and embrace then let go the negative feelings that come your way. Confidence will come once you have more positive thoughts than you do negative – the goal for now is just 51% positive, you can handle that!
How do you boost your own confidence? Let us know in the comments below. For more information on how you can feel more confident in any situation, here’s a great resource to get started.