How To Believe In Yourself

After personally experiencing the good that focusing on positive thinking can bring, I can confidently say your ability to believe in yourself can change your life.

The process of thinking and talking about what you want and how to get it actually makes you feel happier and in greater control of your life. 

And when you feel in control of your life, you start to believe in yourself more and boost your confidence. 

Why Believe in Yourself?

Have you ever heard the quote, “if you believe it, the mind can achieve it?”

Or, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right?”

These quotes exist because the mind is incredibly powerful, and your self-belief has the power to either limit you from reaching your full potential or propel you to do great things.

Confidence in yourself equips you to take action. It also helps you take bigger risks, which can result in bigger rewards.

Positivity works similarly. Scientific studies have proven that when you experience positive emotions (such as love, joy, or contentment), you’ll see more possibilities in life. Positive thoughts can even build your skill set! Because positive emotions broaden your sense of possibilities, they also help you build new skills and resources. Negative emotions do the opposite.

Bottom line? If you believe in yourself, you’re more likely to succeed–and to be happier in all areas of life.. That is true believe in yourself meaning.

What Does It Mean to Believe in Yourself?

Now that you know why it’s important to believe in yourself, it’s time to define what that actually means and looks like, as it can be a bit different for everyone.

Start by thinking about a goal you have set for yourself. How likely do you think it is that you will take part in actions to accomplish that goal? This is a good indicator of your self-belief.

If you don’t think you’ll accomplish that goal, it may be time to start believing in yourself more.

Self-belief is also about positivity. A positive mindset and positive self-belief go hand in hand. If you have a positive outlook on life, you are more likely to believe in yourself.

Psychology Today explains that if you believe in yourself, you have:

• Self-worth (the sense that you have value as a human being)
• Self-confidence (a positive attitude about your abilities, qualities, and judgment)
• Self-trust (faith that you can rely on yourself)
• Autonomy (feeling able to choose and direct your own behavior)
• Environmental mastery (your belief that your efforts will result in the changes you desire)

If you feel like you don’t believe in yourself, don’t panic. There are actionable steps you can take to have more confidence, trust, and positivity–all of which will lead to a stronger and better sense of self-belief.

How To Believe In Yourself

Learning how to believe in yourself starts with thinking positively and vocalizing positive statements to yourself to build your self-esteem.

It also includes identifying what your highest values and aspirations in life are and setting expectations so you can be true to yourself — which will let you live your best life.

At the end of the day, believing in yourself doesn’t have to be a complicated process.

Try some of these proven methods to help you believe in yourself and even boost self-confidence.

Believe You Have Confidence

Perhaps one of the hardest things to do in life is to accept how extraordinary you really are, believe in yourself, and then incorporate this awareness into your attitude and personality.

But there is no one like you. You have unique contributions to share with the world that only you can give.

After all, we all have our own talents, skills, and abilities that make us extraordinary.

So one key to having confidence is by saying it. Tell yourself you have confidence, and then believe it.

Your thoughts become words and your words become your actions. So if you continue to tell yourself that you believe in yourself, eventually you really will believe in yourself.

Start by repeating affirmations such as, “I believe in myself,” every day.

It’s that simple.

Have the courage to accept yourself as you really are — not as you might be, or as someone else thinks you should be — and know that taking everything into consideration, you really are worthy to have the kind of life you want. You are an extraordinary person.

Know Your Value

Your beliefs determine your expectations. 

If you have positive values, you will believe yourself to be a good person. And, if you believe in yourself to be a good person, good things will happen to you. 

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When you expect good things to happen to you, you will be more positive, cheerful, and future-oriented. You will look for the good in other people and situations.

For example, if your value is that this is a good world to live in and your belief is that you are going to be very successful in life, you will expect everything that happens to you is helping you in some way.

As a result, you will have a positive mental attitude toward other people, and they will respond positively toward you, helping you be a more cheerful and optimistic person that others will want to work with and for, buy from and sell to, and generally help to be more successful.

Build Self-Esteem

When you take steps toward building your self-esteem, your confidence grows and the natural outcome is that you start to believe in yourself. Use these six elements of self-esteem building to help you learn how to believe in yourself:

GOALS

Setting clear, accomplishable goals gives you purpose and makes you feel good about yourself. Each step you take toward achieving your goals builds your self-esteem.

STANDARDS

People with high self-esteem have high standards, and they make choices that are consistent with their standards. Develop values and ideals that you can be proud of, and make sure your goals are aligned with them. 

SUCCESS EXPERIENCES

When you are setting your goals, write down the smaller milestones it will take for you to reach them.  Each positive experience you have with success — large or small — will add to your belief in yourself. 

COMPARISON WITH OTHERS

Identify people you respect and look up to, whose standards align with the ones you want to have. As you progress, compare yourself to see how you measure up and get clues about how you can improve.

RECOGNITION

Recognition from people who are important to you, such as your family members, boss, or mentor builds your self-esteem. Striving to achieve your goals will attract recognition.

REWARDS

Along with recognition are tangible rewards. Your self-esteem grows as you work toward and receive a bonus at work, certification or licensure, an advancement in position or level of trust, or other status markers. 

Identify, Question, and Overcome Feelings of Self Doubt

If you’re trying to focus on self-improvement, doubt is an important area to tackle. Self-doubt can have a major impact on our lives and whether we reach our goals.

Self-doubt is a feeling of uncertainty about the truth. People who are experiencing self-doubt are unable to accurately judge their own abilities. If you feel unsure of your abilities, this may signal self-doubt.

You can fight against doubt by working on developing self-love and showing yourself more compassion. Give yourself grace when you fail; we all fail from time to time. Think about your strengths and focus on those more than your weaknesses.

Positive self-talk and daily affirmations are also methods that can help you start believing in yourself. We’ll cover those later in this post.

Use Visualization

One final way to better believe in yourself is visualization. Visualization is the practice of imagining your goals coming true–the process you’ll take to reach them, and what it will feel like when they come true.

Visualization motivates you to get to work. It also helps reduce anxiety and build your self-confidence.

To start trying visualization, sit quietly and take deep breaths to start your visualization practice.

You may want to visualize what your life would ideally look like one year from now.

Do you have a new job? Are you spending lots of quality time with your family? Have you reached a certain goal? Include lots of detail in this visualization (which is almost like a daydream).

You can also get more specific and visualize certain goals coming true. If you want to write a book, picture yourself sitting down at your desk, creating an outline, and beginning to write. Then imagine how it will feel when you sign with a publisher and host your first book signing.

The power of visualization can help us do amazing things.

How to Be More Positive

While believing in yourself and staying positive isn’t something you have to do every hour of every day, it is important to incorporate even a little bit into your everyday life.

Even during the toughest days, try these things to help you experience more positivity in your life.

Incorporate Positive Self-Talk

Positive self-talk is a powerful tool to help you feel better about yourself. According to Healthline, practicing positive self-talk can allow you to enjoy benefits such as:

• increased vitality
• greater life satisfaction
• improved immune function
• reduced pain
• better cardiovascular health
• better physical well-being
• reduced risk for death
• less stress and distress

Having a positive attitude is clearly important, and self-talk is a great way to get there.

You can incorporate positive self-talk by speaking to yourself aloud or in your head. Don’t compare yourself to others–just focus on yourself and what you’re doing right.

This might sound like positive affirmations, such as, “I am kind,” “I have value,” or “I will work hard today.” You could also choose to highlight your positive qualities or think about small successes.

Practice Daily Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the key components involved to help you tap into the power of positive thinking. When you practice gratitude, you’re more focused on the blessings that are already in your life. You’ll focus on positive things like your friends, family, and past successes instead of constantly wanting something new.

According to Harvard Health, studies have actually proved the association between gratitude and a person’s well-being. In one study, people who practiced daily gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives! Your work and personal relationships can improve, too.

Start pursuing gratitude to remind yourself that you have a good life here and now, even if it’s not quite the way you want it to be. Keeping a gratitude journal where you write a few lines every day is a simple method to start shifting your mindset. Follow these tips as you write about what you’re grateful for in your everyday life:

• Instead of naming something general (“my job”), be specific with an event that happened that day (“my boss investing in me by paying for a webinar”).
• Stick to the same time of day, each day to help stay consistent.
• Write a minimum of one thing per day.
• Record something different every day.

Try Meditation

Meditation is a form of self-reflection that, among other benefits, can help you move past self-doubt and foster a more positive attitude. When you meditate, you clear your mind of distractions. This helps you relax and reduce any anxiety.

There are multiple types of meditation. You might practice mindfulness meditation, where you quietly observe your thoughts as they pass through your mind. Try focused meditation to concentrate on any of your five senses. Or practice mantra meditation, where you can chant a repetitive sound to clear your mind.

If you struggle with negative thoughts, meditation could be a helpful method of moving past feelings of unsupportive self-disbelief to feel confident in your own life.

Yoga Journal recommends noticing negative thinking patterns and intentionally replacing them with an opposite thought.

Exercise

Did you know that regular exercise can help build confidence, foster a growth mindset, and increase your overall self-worth as a human being?

The Mayo Clinic states that physical exercise stimulates chemicals in your brain that can help you feel happier, more relaxed, and less anxious. Plus, you’ll gain a myriad of physical health benefits–such as improved sleep, which can make you feel happier, too.

There’s no one “right” way to exercise. The best kind of physical activity for you is whatever fits your own abilities and makes your body feel good.

If you’re new to the fitness world, start exercising by performing simple movements like squats or lifting dumbbells. If you have access to workout equipment, you can walk on a treadmill, ride a bike, or use an elliptical.

A mixture of cardiovascular exercise (like walking, running, or cycling) and strength training (like push-ups and squats) is best.

Make sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.

Be Kind

Being kind to someone isn’t just about the recipient. It benefits you, too. Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy, and compassion. It also improves your mood and helps your mind–showing kindness to somebody boosts serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, which create feelings of happiness.

How can you show kindness to someone else today? Often, small gestures mean just as much as big, flashy ones. Consider using one of the many ideas on this list to take action with kindness:

• Give a compliment or a word of encouragement
• Buy a coffee
• Let someone merge in front of you
• Give someone your seat
• Pick up litter
• Write a good online review
• Write a thank-you note
• Talk to a lonely stranger
• Donate items you no longer need to a local charity
• Anonymously leave a favorite treat in the break room
• Mentor someone
• Babysit for free

How to Improve Self Confidence

Self-confidence is a feeling of complete trust in your abilities, knowledge, and skills.

To be confident means that you have a generally positive attitude and a healthy way of thinking about yourself.

The more you believe in yourself, the more self-confidence you will naturally have.

Read Self-Confidence Books

The more positive elements you have in your life, the easier it is to gain confidence and believe in yourself even more. 

Deciding to make small changes in your routine and surroundings can have a big impact on your ability to develop confidence and stay positive. One of the best ways to achieve this is by reading self-confidence books.

When it comes to building self-confidence, there are so many authors who have written about proven methods to help do just that. 

Consider reading a few of these works to help you understand how to build self-confidence:

• “The Power of Self-Confidence” by Brian Tracy
• “The Confidence Code” by Claire Shipman
• “Get Out of Your Own Way” by Philip Goldberg and Mark Goulston
• “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: The Definitive Work on Self-Esteem by the Leading Pioneer in the Field” by Nathaniel Branden
• “Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds”  by David Goggins
• “The Self Confidence Workbook: A Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Improving Self-Esteem” by Barbara Markway, Celia Ampel, and Teresa Flynn

Remember Your Past Achievements

One of the best ways to combat negative self-talk and boost low self-confidence? Spend some time reflecting on your past success.

Making a list of your accomplishments is a powerful way to gain more confidence in yourself. The list will remind you that you’ve done it before, and you can do it again.

Grab a pen and paper and get to work listing your achievements over your life. You might start out the list something like this:

• Graduated from college summa cum laude
• Received an award after six months in my first job
• Wrote a book on the weekends

If you’re having trouble coming up with items to add to your list, get out of your comfort zone and ask a friend, family member, or colleague for their input on your own abilities.

When your list is complete, stick it somewhere you’ll see it every day, such as your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror.

Improve Your Self Belief

It might take a little work. But over time, you’ll get a sense of where your struggles lie when it comes to self-belief –which will allow you to take action to overcome them.

Need a little help along the way? Check out my 14-step goal-setting guide. This free resource teaches you how to set and achieve any goal you can imagine. You’ll grow your self-confidence and self-belief as you learn which mistakes to avoid and where to focus your energy.

Download the guide here and take the first step on the road to success!

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