Confidence is trusting yourself and your abilities. A way to look at confidence is that it is a skill that can be developed and mastered over time. Something that is helpful in actively building confidence is making a to-do list of small goals that can be visibly crossed off and check markedas completed, this will serve as evidence and proof that progress is being made and priorities are being taken care of.

To make goals achievable, is it important to be able to break them down into bite sized pieces, the more ‘checking-off’ that is happening the better! An example of a goal is changing a lifestyle habit, for instance getting up early and going to the gym. If you are a person who has never been to a gym before, you may be worried the investment will go to waste if eventually the dedication isn't there. Break down this goal into smaller pieces. For instance, research the gym you would go to in your area, when would you realistically plan your workout to fit your schedule, start waking up and going to bed to get used to the new sleep schedule, practice how you would prepare to go to the gym (water bottle, outfit, the shoes you would wear), what exercises would you do when you got there, what playlist would you listen to, etc. The more the goal is broken down into smaller goals and crossed off as accomplished, the more confident you will feel towards pursuing and working towards achieving other parts that ultimately contribute to your end result. Considering the fear that may be behind your goal, such as ‘I want to go to the gym but what if I lose interest and waste my time and money?’. Considering the fear of failing your gaol will help put a plan in place to prevent falling back into old patterns or becoming overwhelmed by new tasks.

The purpose behind the goal is also important to look at closely as this will serve as the motivation to continue to work at breaking down obstacles into manageable hills to climb. Why do you want to implement the goal of going to the gym? How will doing this be helpful to you in your everyday life? The difficulty with a long term goal that you have to implement everyday is that the motivation to continue pursuing the desired outcome fades as progress is not achieved before the end of the goal.For example, if the desired outcome is building muscle at the gym, this is doable but will take a long time and dedication. Considering this goal from another angle, look at how building muscle,endurance, flexibility can be helpful to you in your everyday life and incorporate them together. This will begin to build your confidence as you become familiar with the goal of changing your lifestyle in multiple, flexible avenues. As you show yourself that you are capable of achieving greater challenges through small accomplishments, your confidence will grow in your capabilities.

Here are five suggestion on how to upgrade your confidence:

1. Power pose-body posture is shown to help with the feeling of confidence, think of a person you admire who is confident. How do they stand? How do they hold themselves? Typical signs of a confident stance are shoulders back and down, standing up straight, feet shoulder width apart.

2. Use constructive language-be mindful of how you speak to yourself. Paying attention to your self-talk will benefit your ability to keep an open mind when approaching foreign situations, such as ‘I am here for the experience and I can learn what I need to’ as opposed to ‘I have to be perfect, or I could fail’.

3. Stop comparing yourself to others- practice gratitude for who you are, you are amazing after all! Practicing gratitude will help with feelings of contentment and experiencing joy in the day to day successes without worrying about what other people are doing. Allow yourself to appreciatewho you are and what makes you special. Focusing on your strengths is a great start in finding gratitude in your abilities as an individual and the role you play in your relationships.

4. Surround yourself with positive people-pay attention to how your friends make you feel. Confidence can be developed by being around other uplifting people who want you to feel good about yourself.

5. Sleep cycle- getting enough sleep leads to a better mood, and can be linked to optimism and self-esteem. Sleep deprivation can leave a person feeling on edge, creating a greater likelihood of sensitive feelings that can lead to self-doubt. Getting enough sleep can prevent feelings of overwhelm, stress and lack of motivation, and irritability, creating more room to build confidencethrough feeling well rested. Sleep Tip: Keep a pad of paper by your bed and jot down whatever is on your mind to release them

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