Whenever one is beset by a situation that he or she is unsure of – facing someone admired, having to in front of an audience, or simply talking to others – he or she is facing a goodly amount of stress. Confident people are usually able to face these situations without blinking; but the rest of us will probably melt away and try to run away from the situation.
For most people facing this kind of low self-esteem, these situations present an opportunity for them to make fools out of themselves.
If you are one of the millions of people that would like to stop fidgeting in front of others, trying to squirrel out of such situations, and being so unsure of yourself when facing presentations, here are a few tips to set you on your way.
Competence is Confidence – Some organizations, like the Toastmasters, help those afraid to speak in public toughen up by stressing this credo – and it really works. One secret to confidence and self-esteem is to be able to trust what you are able to do. Whenever you practice a given skill, you increase your own confidence in your capability to perform, even in front of other people.
Before a big presentation, study up. Try to know everything about the topic before you step in front of the audience. If you have practiced way before the presentation, you will be in a better position to knock their socks off.
Practicing in front of supportive people you trust will help you get feedback on how to improve your performance.
Believe in Yourself – One of the reasons people are not confident in themselves is the fact that they are already convinced that they will fail even before anything happens. The power of the mind. If you believe you will fail, you indeed will! A better exercise would to be to believe that you can succeed. Set your mind towards succeeding, and you probably will!
Take Criticisms, whether Good or Bad – Most people are bad at taking criticisms. Instead of taking the criticisms personally, use every comment and suggestion to make yourself better. However, you will also have to look out for some criticisms that were never meant to benefit you.
Remain Calm at All Costs – Panicking never benefited anybody. If you are suddenly in a situation where you are unsure of what to do or what will happen, keep your composure. If you don’t know the answer, say so calmly. If you do not know what to do, it would not be bad to admit it.
In a nutshell, self-esteem is your opinion of yourself and your abilities. It can be high, low or somewhere in-between. While everyone occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave you feeling insecure and unmotivated. You might be able to identify a few things that are affecting your opinion of yourself (maybe you’re being bullied, or you might be feeling lonely), or it could be a mystery. Either way, if you are wondering how to improve your self-esteem, here are some of our top tips.
Be nice to yourself:
That little voice that tells you’re killing’ it (or not) is way more powerful than you might think. Make an effort to be kind to yourself and, if you do slip up, try to challenge any negative thoughts. A good rule of thumb is to speak to yourself in the same way that you’d speak to your mates. This can be really hard at first, but practice makes perfect. If you want a few pointers, check out our tips for talking yourself up.
You do you:
Comparing yourself to other people is a sure-fire way to start feeling crummy. Try to focus on your own goals and achievements, rather than measuring them against someone else’s. Nobody needs that kind of pressure!
Get moving:
Exercise is a great way to increase motivation, practice setting goals and build confidence. Breaking a sweat also cues the body to release endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
Nobody’s perfect:
Always strive to be the best version of yourself, but it’s also important to accept that perfection is an unrealistic goal.
Remember that everyone makes mistakes:
You’ve got to make mistakes in order to learn and grow, so try not to beat yourself up if you forget to hit on a super-important assignment. Everyone’s been there.
Focus on what you can change:
It’s easy to get hung up on all the things that are out of your control, but it won’t achieve much. Instead, try to focus your energy on identifying the things that are within your control and seeing what you can do about them. Read more about how you can accept things that are out of your control.
Do what makes you happy:
If you spend time doing the things you enjoy, you’re more likely to think positively. Try to schedule in a little you-time every day. Whether that’s time spent reading, cooking or just conking out on the couch for a bit, if it makes you happy, make time for it.
Celebrate the small stuff:
You got up on time this morning. Tick. You poached your eggs to perfection. Winning. Celebrating the small victories is a great way to build confidence and start feeling better about yourself.
Be a pal:
Being helpful and considerate to other people will certainly boost their mood, but it’ll also make you feel pretty good about yourself
Surround yourself with a supportive squad:
Find people who make you feel good about yourself and avoid those who tend to trigger your negative thinking.
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