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What do Beyonce and Taylor Swift have in common? They rock self-confidence like no one’s business. They’re unapologetically bold. They carry themselves with a type of elegance that makes everyone’s heads turn when they walk into a room. They have precisely the type of self-confidence all of us women should have. It’s like they practice confidence building exercises on a regular basis!
Well, if you’re ready to channel your inner Queen B and T-Swizzle, I’ve got 13 confidence building activities for you to try. These are also activities to build self esteem if this is an area you struggle with too.
Why should you practice confidence building exercises?
Merriam-Webster defines confidence as “a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or reliance on one’s circumstances.” What does this mean for us women, exactly?
It means that when you’re confident, you feel secure in who you are and where you’re headed in life. You don’t focus on your weaknesses because you stand grounded in your strengths.
It means you have high self-esteem and believe in your ability to handle any situation that comes your way. You always feel ready to take on the world and accomplish your goals — because you know you’re capable of achieving your dreams.
Doesn’t that type of confidence sound like something every woman should strive for?
13 Daily confidence building exercises and activities to build self esteem
If you’re ready to boost your self-esteem, here are 13 confidence building activities to try!
1. Stop comparing yourself to others to start building confidence
First things first, stop comparing yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy. You’ll never experience the type of self-confidence you deserve if you’re constantly measuring your success by those around you. It’ll only leave you feeling inadequate and insecure.
So one way to practice this is by writing down your comparison triggers. Your trigger could be someone on social media, a high-end retail store near your house, a certain friend who can’t stop bragging about their achievements.
After you’ve written down your triggers, see what you can do to reduce them in your life. For example, if it’s social media, set aside an hour this week to unfollow anyone who makes you doubt your self-worth. If it’s a certain clothing store, stop visiting.
2. Focus on your strengths
We often remember the bad more than the good, according to a recent Washington Post survey. And when we’re laser-focused on all the times we’ve failed, it can destroy our confidence.
One way to boost your self-esteem is to focus on your strengths. There are two confidence building exercises you can try for this one:
Reflecting on everything you’ve accomplished so far in life can improve your self esteem
Go back as far as you can remember (even to that spelling bee you won in 5th grade). Write it all down so you can reference it when you need a reminder of how awesome you are.
Writing down everything you’re good is a great confidence building exercise
It could be as simple as, “I’m good at making homemade coffee that rivals any coffee shop” to something complex like, “I’m really good at building a successful business that generates more than $80,000 in revenue a year.” Focus on these strengths — they’re the reason you rock!
Don’t know what you’re good at? Ask your family and friends or go through these 60 journal prompts for self discovery.
3. Ditch perfectionism
How many times has perfectionism held you back in life? You don’t run that marathon because you think you need to be more in shape.
Your boss passes you up for a promotion because you didn’t think you were qualified. You spend hours agonizing over that business report because you just need to edit it one more time.
Perfectionism kills confidence — and it prevents you from getting anything done. Now is the time to ditch perfectionism and stop overanalyzing everything. Sign up for that marathon now. Go after that promotion. Submit that report. You just might surprise yourself.
4. Rewire your negative thoughts and beliefs
Human beings have over 6,000 thoughts per day. And for some of us, our inner critic is the voice that seems the loudest in our minds. Morning affirmations are one of the best confidence building exercises you can do to silence that little critic in your head.
For example, if you believe you’re scatter-brained, your morning affirmation could be, “My mind is clear and focused. Nothing can get in my way or distract me from my goals.” I personally love affirmations because they help rewrite any negative beliefs you have about yourself.
5. Smile and make eye contact with people
Even if you don’t want to, smiling and making eye contact with people can give you a great boost of confidence.
It signals to those around you that you’re open to communicating and can help put everyone at ease. The more you practice doing it, the more naturally it will come to you.
6. Set a goal and then challenge yourself to achieve it!
There’s something empowering about setting a goal and then achieving it. But when you have a billion goals floating around your head, it can be hard to take action on any specific one. Why not try out something fun and turn one of your goals into a challenge?
It could be something small like learning a new financial term you don’t know or something big like maxing out your retirement account for the year. The sky’s the limit!
7. Prioritize self-discipline as part of your confidence building exercises
Self-discipline refers to your ability to control your emotions and behaviors. When you’re self-disciplined, you’re more inclined to stick with your goals (even those big, lofty ones like becoming debt-free or buying your first house).
There are several ways you can improve your self-discipline — set small goals, read a book like No Excuses, get an accountability partner. Pick one or two and see how it pumps up your confidence meter.
8. Take yourself on a date
You need to love yourself before you can truly love anyone else. What better way to do this than by dating yourself? Set aside 30 minutes or an hour each week to truly get to know Y-O-U.
Figure out your likes and dislikes, get comfortable with your own thoughts, do something interesting you’ve always wanted to do. Learning to love yourself first may just be one of the best confidence building activities you try.
9. Practice sharing your opinions
If you’re the introverted type who struggles to speak out (#guilty), make an effort to develop and share your opinions more. If you don’t think you can share your opinions eloquently and succinctly, practice saying them out loud to your partner or yourself in the mirror.
The more you say your thoughts out loud, the more confidence you’ll have when sharing them with others. Sharing your opinions is one of the most important activities to build self esteem.
10. Start thinking like a confident woman and make this a daily confidence building exercise
Think of the most confident woman you know. Then, before you do something that seems scary or intimidating, ask yourself, “What would [NAME] do in this situation?”
Then do whatever comes to mind! This might be the same as “faking it ‘till you make it,” but it’s one of the best confidence building exercises you can do — and it’s sure to get you out of your own head and away from those negative thoughts.
11. Surround yourself with ambitious people
So I’m the type of person who overanalyzes everything. For example, it took me an entire year to buy a $70 pair of Tevas because — even though I knew which pair I wanted — I thought I needed to research every other type of style to make sure. I ended up buying the same pair I wanted all along and kicked myself for wasting an entire year overanalyzing stinkin’ shoes.)
On the other hand, I have a friend who always encourages me to do things I want to do right away (instead of pondering on them for ages). I always love hanging out with her because she pushes me to be more ambitious, which always boosts my confidence in return.
Of course, this can backfire if you have an ambitious friend who tempts you to spend money you don’t have. You know yourself best. Find that “good” type of ambitious pal that propels you to be better.
12. Practice self-care to boost your self esteem
Looks aren’t everything, but you should feel confident in your own skin. If you’re feeling drab about your appearance, maybe it’s time to practice some self-care.
Set aside some money in your budget to revamp your wardrobe, get a manicure, or book an appointment for that facial you’ve been dying to try. You’ll feel more confident and more relaxed. It’s truly one of the best confidence building exercises out there.
13. Show your body some love
It’s proven that regular exercise can boost your self-confidence. It also relieves stress by pumping up endorphins and distracting you from life’s daily worries. The key is to do something you love — throw a dance in your kitchen, go for a hike, start that garden in your backyard.
Whatever you do, move your body in a way that feels fun for you. (Preferably for 30 minutes a day.) Eat healthy foods to boot, and you’ll be doing one of the best activities to build self-esteem and your physical well-being at the same time!
Which of these confidence building exercises will you do first?
Building your self-esteem takes time. Start by picking one or two confidence building activities from the list (I recommend a few that seem easiest) and trying them out for a while. When you feel like you’ve mastered them, move on to a few more.
You deserve to own who you are and be the self-confident rockstar I know that you are. You got this! Just don’t forget to channel your inner Queen B or T-Swizzle.
Boost your confidence with your finances and learn how to ditch debt, save money, and build wealth with our completely free courses and worksheets! Also, follow Clever Girl Finance on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for upbuilding motivation and top financial tips!
