4 ways to build self-confidence and silence your inner critic

Do you ever feel like you lack self-confidence? It can happen to all of us. It could be that you have good days and bad days, or it could be that you feel a lack of confidence all of the time. Lots of people feel like this, and everyone experiences it at some point. We have some top tips to help you get a confidence kick and silence your inner critic.

We can be our own harshest critics. Your inner critic can damage your self-confidence and can hold you back from going after what you want. That could be anything from speaking up in a meeting – to going after that promotion or acing your job interview! So, what can you do to build your self-confidence?

How to build self-confidence

1. Use positive affirmation to counter negative thoughts

Positive affirmations are uplifting statements that you say to remind yourself of how amazing you are.

Take note of the things you do well in a positivity journal or a folder somewhere on your laptop – and bring that list out to remind yourself of your strengths. This can help handle negative feelings about yourself and boost your self-confidence when you’re feeling low.

“Affirmations are a powerful tool to deliberately install desired beliefs about yourself.”
— Nikki Carnevale

When you repeat a positive affirmation continuously, it reshapes your internal thinking. Using positive affirmations such as, “I’m good at coming up with ideas”, “I’m great at communicating with people” or “I have a knack for solving difficult problems” is a way of reprogramming your mind to see yourself in a more positive light.

2. Visualise where you see yourself

The mind is a powerful thing and picturing where you want to be is a great way to see how you’ll achieve success.

“What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.”
— Napoleon Hill

When you struggle with low self-confidence, you have a poor perception of yourself. Visualising yourself as a confident and fantastic person plays a part in building up your self-confidence. By envisioning how you’ll reach your goals, you’ll soon find yourself being more confident as you take steps in pursuing your dreams.

3. Leverage your strengths to feel confident

If you’re always thinking about how you’re not good at something, your self-confidence can erode over time, as you’re focused on your perceived flaws instead of your attributes and all the good things you bring. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, reflect on your strengths. By focusing on your strengths and embracing them, you’ll boost your self-confidence.

“Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses…”
— Roy T. Bennett

Self-confidence is linked to self-perception. The way we see ourselves is reflected in how we feel about ourselves and vice versa. We often forget to appreciate how far we’ve come in our journey and what we’ve already achieved. Our memories are also biased – always focusing on things that have gone wrong instead of the things that went right! By concentrating on your strengths and achievements, you’ll realise how talented you are and believe in yourself.

4. Upskill yourself to build your self-confidence

Learning new things can increase your self-confidence and get you out of your own head. It can also provide tangible proof, to yourself and others, of your capabilities. Upskilling also helps you prepare for situations that might stress you out or make you doubt yourself. Preparing with training and developing a flexible skillset can help you to believe in yourself whatever the day might bring!

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”
— Arthur Ashe

Having an awareness of the world around you is a boost to your self-confidence. If you’re unsure of something, brush up on your skills or learn new things. By upskilling yourself, you’ll become a more confident and well-rounded person.

If your lack of self-confidence persists and you’re struggling with negative thoughts about yourself and your abilities, this could be a symptom of burnout or imposter syndrome. Try to speak to someone you trust at work and use the resources available to help with persistent feelings of low self-confidence and self-worth.

At the end of the day, confidence is something that you have to build up. There’s no easy fix! It’s important to remember that self-confidence doesn’t develop overnight and it’s something that happens over time. By working on your self-confidence, you’ll soon feel empowered to pursue your goals and achieve your dreams.