With the New Year rapidly approaching, you’re probably trying to come up with a few ways that you’d like to change your life for the better. Boosting your confidence is a great way to create a better New Year and will give you the motivation and courage to change other aspects of your life too. Luckily, working on your confidence won’t cost you a small fortune either. Rather, this can be one of the most frugal and rewarding ways to change your life for the better. So, this New Year, you won’t have to pick a resolution that will leave you scrambling to keep up financially and emotionally as boosting your confidence is one of the best ways to get more out of your life for 2017 and the upcoming years.
1. Exercise
When it comes to building up confidence, one of the best places to start is with your body. Even if you’re happy with the way your body looks, you can gain a whole lot of confidence when you start and keep up with an exercise routine. Boosting your fitness level is a great way to increase endorphins and even allows you to get to know your body and mind a little better. Even if you have a routine you enjoy, you may want to try out a couple of new exercises to ensure you are getting a well-rounded amount of exercise. It doesn’t have to be about dropping weight either. Rather, concentrate on your health and how your body feels through the routine and after. Even toning up should help boost your confidence, so stick with the routine even if you feel like you aren’t meeting physical goals. Exercising in itself can actually help you save money too, as you will feel healthier which will mean less visits to the doctor.
2. Eat Healthier
Consuming healthy food can actually make you feel confident about yourself, believe it or not. Foods that are good for your body actually help cleanse toxins and will boost your mood and appearance quickly. Of course, jumping on the health food bandwagon could leave you feeling overwhelmed, but you can start doing this by taking baby steps. For instance, if you plan on eating out then add a small side salad to each of your meals and go light on the dressing. You can also begin by having fast food a lot less. This alone will save you a whole lot of money and will ensure you begin to lose weight and feel better in no time at all. The change you will feel as you move from junk food to health food is sure to leave you walking with more pep in your step and as you progress in your healthier eating you will crave the stuff that is bad for you a whole lot less.
3. Stand Up Tall
One small thing you can do to help boost your confidence is to keep an eye on your posture. Standing up tall and holding yourself a little higher will show the world that you are strong and ready to take on any challenge that comes your way. Even if you aren’t feeling like the most confident person on the planet, by keeping your posture long and tall you will instantly feel better about everything you have to take on. It is almost like fooling your mind into believing you are on top of your game, even if you feel like a nervous wreck. Treating your posture better can help you land a promotion, meet new friends or even get a date with someone special. If you’re having trouble with your posture consider grabbing a back brace or learn some of the yoga moves that help encourage the body to maintain a healthier posture.
4. Reach Out
Sometimes, we need a little help finding our confidence again. Often, depression, struggles with life or other problems get in the way, which can cause us to lose sight of our inner confidence. Luckily, there’s a lot of groups that can help you find your groove again. You can seek these groups out in person or online, so shoot for something that meets your needs. This will even allow you to look around for a group that suits you the best, without forcing you to feel committed. If you’re on a tight budget then you may want to seek out free groups. You should be able to do this through your community center or by talking to a doctor who may be able to recommend a great program. Of course, reaching out to friends and family can also help you feel better. Once you talk out your problem and figure out how to resolve it, you’ll be on the right track to feeling confident.
5. Start Small
A lot of people expect to hop into their New Year’s resolution goals and immediately make progress. This can not only discourage them from finishing out a resolution, but it could also cause some to throw money at the resolution. Instead of doing this you should take small steps to ensure that you don’t find the process totally overwhelming as you work towards your goal. You might start this process by making a list of things you’d like to change about yourself. From there, choose a small goal to help start you out. It may even be something as small as calling a parent more often. Once you’ve got this goal down then choose something a little bigger. As the challenge grows, so will your confidence. Remember, breaking a bad habit and forming a good habit only takes around 21 days, so you may be able to fit in over 12 goals a year if you really push yourself. With this success, you’re sure to feel incredible about yourself and you’ll probably also save some money in the long run too.
6. Ditch the Negativity
We’re all guilty of having days when everything is negative and we can’t seem to see the good in anything. These days can really bring us down though and can prevent us from having the confidence we need to get through life. One way you can combat negative feelings is to train yourself to detour from having them. You can do this by placing a sum of money in a jar every time a negative thought prevents you from reaching your potential or when it puts you in a bad mood. After spending your money, you’ll think twice about it which should lead you down a more positive road. Plus, at the end of the year, you may have a nice nest egg to splurge on something you’ve always wanted. Negative people can also hinder your success in life, so try to avoid people who may purposely bring you down. If they are a close friend or family member, then you might want to have a talk with them and explain your goals and how they are standing in your way. With the negativity out of your life, you may find you have more freedom to really shoot for your goals.
7. Read and Write
Working on your confidence doesn’t have to be all about work either though. You can really find confidence in doing activities you love or those that you may not know you love yet. For instance, reading a book can actually boost your confidence levels. Many people have a hard time getting into reading, but if you take the time to explore various books you may find that there is something that strikes your fancy out there. The more you read, the better you will feel mentally which will allow you to want to take on more challenging jobs and work on your well-being more often. Writing is another way to help with confidence levels, so you might want to invest in a notebook that you really like or start up your own blog. By writing down your thoughts and feelings you will help relieve stress and feel more confident as you take on the challenges in your life. If you choose to keep a public blog then you may even find a group of people who support you and appreciate your writing, which can also help you feel confident.
8. Step Outside of the Comfort Zone
Everyone has their own sense of security, but sometimes our safety bubbles can leave us feeling confined and a little down in the dumps. In order to boost your confidence and get yourself out of the everyday grind of things, you may want to try to take a step outside of your comfort zone every now and then. Of course, this step is going to depend on the person you are as everyone has their own boundaries. For instance, if you’re an introvert, you may want to decide to speak to someone new every once in a while. You might also want to challenge yourself by reading a book that you find to be advanced. Extroverts may get more out of trying out an extreme sport or asking the boss for a promotion at work. No matter what you choose to do, this action can help further your life and bring your confidence to a new height.
9. Volunteer
One way to challenge yourself and to make yourself feel great is to go out of your way to give back to others. Volunteering can truly change your life and leave you feeling confident about the person you have become. You can choose from so many ways to volunteer too, which makes it perfect for everyone. For instance, you can easily volunteer to help out at a nursing home or vet center if you enjoy spending time with people and helping others smile. If you enjoy working with your hands then you may want to try out Habitat for Humanity, planting trees in a park or even picking up trash on the side of the road. Animal fans will love working at a shelter or helping the elderly in the neighborhood walk their dog. No matter what you choose, making a difference is sure to help add the extra pep to your step.
10. Dress Up
Sometimes, all it takes to feel confident is to take the time out of your day to dress up and look your best. Even if you don’t have anywhere to go, you can always put on nicer clothes, fix your hair and do your make up. You may even find this activity to be a whole lot of fun, which is sure to make life a little sweeter anyway. You don’t have to do this all for no reason though. Try experimenting with new looks in your wardrobe or with your makeup. You may find looks that you’ve been neglecting that make you feel out of this world. If you’ve stuck with the same hairstyle for a while, then mix it up with something new. You might find all the refreshing looks can really make you feel like the go-getter you are.
Boosting confidence doesn’t have to be a chore or something that will leave you struggling throughout the year. There’s many ways to find your groove and keep it up, which will help you immensely in many aspects of your life. These ten ideas to boost confidence will not only help you with any other resolutions you have, but can also help keep your money secure in your bank account as you work to achieve greatness.
