In seasons of life where you are not feeling confident, it can feel like you will never be able to access a sense of confidence in yourself. However, confidence and self-esteem are like a muscle and there are practices that can help you build them.
Where and When You Feel Confident
It can help you to lean into the parts of yourself you do feel comfortable in or reflect on past times or seasons of life when you felt more confident. What were you doing? How were you showing up? What did confidence feel like?
When you are at a difficult period in your life that shakes your confidence in yourself and your abilities, it can be easy to forget that although you are struggling now, this feeling will not last forever, and you can begin to feel better about yourself with help and patience.
Celebrating Yourself
Although it may feel uncomfortable at first, celebrating yourself for your intelligence, your accomplishments, and all of the ways in which you are moving toward healing even when your progress is hard to see is a stepping stone to confidence.
You may not give yourself enough credit for all the ways you are changing, especially when there is a voice of inadequacy and comparison embedded in your mind. How can you celebrate yourself today? Can you celebrate yourself merely because you are worthy of being celebrated? What have you done recently that felt good or boosted your confidence, even just a little?
Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
If feeling confident and taking actions like stepping outside of your comfort zone and anchoring into self-acceptance is a new experience for you, it will likely feel uncomfortable at first. This discomfort is necessary, as you cannot shift into new ways of being without pushing the edges of your comfort zone.
Beginning to build your confidence muscle is a process and a practice. It takes time, patience, self-compassion, and permission to feel confident after seasons of not feeling that way. Through reflecting on areas in which you do feel confident, celebrating yourself, and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, confidence is a seed that can be planted and grown.
Confidence may feel hard to access and embody during seasons where you’re plagued by mental illness or addiction. These struggles often convince individuals that they are not good enough and can make them see the world in black and white, only pointing out their flaws. However, these feelings and experiences won’t last forever and, with treatment, you can heal and feel like yourself again. At Avalon Malibu, our team is here to support your healing and growth as you cultivate confidence and get back into touch with your authentic self. Call Avalon Malibu today at (844) 857-5992.
