5 Daily Habits That Boost My Confidence & Changed My Life
Confidence. It feels like a word that means everything and nothing all at once. We talk about wanting confidence, about building confidence, about lacking or exuding confidence, but what does it mean? To me, confidence is that feeling of self-assurance of who I am, what I can do, and that I belong in my environment and am worthy of respect and meaningful engagement in my community, no matter the day or situation or the mood I’m in.
It’s easier to feel confident in various seasons of life and in certain environments. When I am doing something I’m really good at, like cooking for example, I feel confident. When I am trying something new, like having to play volleyball at a team building event at work, it’s harder to feel confident. Most recently, my confidence and self-assurance in who I am has been rocky because of all of the changes that come to one’s body and identity after having kids.
But even when I don’t feel my most confident, I am still able to tap into that inner strength and self-assurance because at my core, I know who I am and what I am capable of. And that starts with little habits each day to help me root into what makes me me and keeps me comfortable in my own skin. Here are 5 daily habits that boost my self-confidence and remind me that I *am* that chick.
Be intentional with your clothing.
When I look good, I feel good. This means wearing clothes that fit my body right now, not clothes that hide my body when I’m 10 (okay, 15) pounds more than I would like to be, or clothes that are too tight because I’m in denial about those 15 (okay, 20) pounds. I frequently audit and purge my closet to make sure that the clothes that I have reflect who I want to show up as. I don’t buy clothes often and I try my best not to engage in fast fashion, so my wardrobe doesn’t end up with a bunch of odds and ends that can look unintentional when I throw them on in a hurry. I try to curate my closet so that whether I have time to play with what I want to wear or when I have 30 seconds to throw something on, I will be wearing an outfit that makes me feel and look good!
2. Hydrate and nourish.
Dehydration and lack of proper nutrients affects your mindset. This is just science, you guys! I used to be a girl running on coffee, Diet Coke, salad, and a dream. But I don’t play with my blood sugar this way anymore and I am better for it. I rarely let myself get hangry these days and that helps to keep me more emotionally regulated so I can think clearly and logically and know who I am, what I stand for, and how awesome I am! Find a great granola bar and keep it in your bag. I promise, this will be a game changer.
3. Do your skincare (or other self-care moment).
I committed to a 2 minute skin care routine this year. Every morning and night I wash my face, spray it with toner, use two serums, and a face cream. It literally takes two minutes but it’s amazing how many times I’m tempted to skip it because I’m in a rush or tired. But by committing to one small act of self-care, I prove to myself every day that I am who I say I am - a person who does what they say they’ll do. I accomplish something small every day by keeping this promise to myself and that helps me to feel good about myself!
4. Move.
It doesn’t need to be a full exercise routine. It doesn’t need to be a 5K run. It just needs to be some sort of movement. A 10 minute walk, a quick stretch, or a full exercise routine if you have the time! But movement DOES create energy. It DOES elevate your mood. Again, this is science! By telling myself it doesn’t need to be a full exercise routine, it just needs to be some form of intentional movement for more than 60 seconds, I actually do it. And it often lasts longer than 2 minutes because once I start, I want to keep going.
5. Remind yourself of who you are as your best self. And show up as her.
I have my 3 core values written on post-its and stuck to a wall with specific ways I can live in my values everyday written beneath it. So for example, one my core values is ‘present’ and beneath it I have post-it notes that say ‘ringer on, phone away’ and ‘banner notifications off.’ Taking a quick look at these reminds me of how to show up as my best self, even on days when I don’t feel like it or don’t want to. Who I am isn’t built on who I am in the glamorous publicized moments, it’s who I am consistently in the small moments. Don’t know what your core values are? Here is a link to a list of values curated by Brene Brown. Have a look and see what resonates with you!
These are the 5 things I do every day that help me to be my most confident self. What are your best confidence boosting tips? Let me know in the comments!
