First and foremost, it is important to surround yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself, and put yourself in situations that make you happy.  If you are happy then you will feel better about yourself.  And no one deserves to surround themselves with people who only bring negativity to their lives and bring them down. 

Most people get compliments all the time, more often than they get insults, yet for some reason even if they get ten compliments and one insult in a day, they seem to remember only the insult.  Next time you get a compliment take a mental note of it, and when you get home, jot down all the compliments you received in a small notebook.  When you aren’t feeling your most confident, take a look at your notebook and remember how great you really are. 

Another great thing you can do is remember to take a picture of yourself the next time you feel really good about yourself, whether it’s in a bikini at the beach, or in an evening gown.  Keep that picture in your wallet so that every time you open up your wallet you see yourself and are reminded of how great you look. 

Life can be busy and many people get consumed with work or family and don’t find the time to go out.  It is important to take time for yourself and make plans to go out with friends.  Getting out of the house and breaking your usual routine by going out will make you feel good because having a good time and being with people you love can only lift your self-image.  Hanging out with a group of friends will also remind of how many people love you and care about you, and how you really are a great person worth having all the self-confidence in the world.

Eating healthy and exercising are also great ways to develop self-confidence.  A healthy diet will give you more energy and exercising releases endorphins which make you feel good about yourself.  If you feel like a million bucks then you will radiate it, and everyone around you will see you as a positive and self-confident person.

Note: these are quick short term confidence boosters, they aren’t needed. True core confidence comes from how you think on a daily basis, your beliefs and past experiences. Maybe I’ll write an article about true core confidence another time.

1. Music

   Music is released everyday, it never stops. Blast out your favorite music on your iPod and sing along to it. It gets you in a confident state. If you don’t have an MP3 player get one, shove all your favorite music on it. Listen when you’re getting ready to go out. This is a huge state pumper. Get variety, spice it up “cause if you”re listening to same thing over and over you’ll become bored of it.

2. Body and Mind
   

   The two are connected and influence each other. Use this to your advantage. Start by being aware of your breath. Breathe deep from the stomach (health benefits also). Take up space, hands out of pockets, don’t fidget, use much slower movements. Smile. Not a fake smile. Think of something that makes you laugh or just happy and smile. The smile comes from the eyes, the mouth follows. Fake smiles start from the mouth. It’s subtle but we sense it. Find someone famous who is confident and watch how they behave.

3. Inner/Outer Dialogue

   When you look at yourself in the mirror, you have to accept and love yourself – *No matter what!*

   You’re looking in the mirror… Tell yourself “I am the bomb!”, “Knock “em dead baby!”, whatever works for you. You don”t need a logical reason to be confident really but if they help you then use “em. When you”re talking among others, project your voice and use emotion. Be enthusiastic. You’ve got to be aware if you are being uncertain or talking to yourself negatively. Stop. Breathe. Imagine a sheet of blank white paper. This interrupts your state and you can start focusing on how cool you really are again. It’s easy to lose track but once your on, you’re confident and unaware of it because you don’t need to be aware of it anymore.

4. Physical Activity

   Gym, football, dancing, swimming, whatever. Just moving around makes you feel more confident. I know I feel great after coming home from the gym, I’m a lot more creative like when writing articles and even talking to others. It’s like a confident flow-state and everything goes well and it’s all natural.

5. Treat Yourself

    Get some really good looking comfortable clothes, a haircut, a massage or even a shower (hah, just kidding). This gets rid of the old subconscious anchors you might have to yourself. An anchor is a feeling inside yourself that’s triggered by something that happened in the past. Like an old favourite song you haven’t heard in years brings certain feelings back.

6. Imagination

   Imagine yourself being confident. How do you walk, talk and act? Remember a time when you were feeling euphoric. What did you see, feel, hear, smell, touch… Identify with it as much as you can. Remember a time when you were successful or achieved something. Passed your driving? Aced a test? Learned how to ride a bike? Gave a public speech? Whatever!