Do you suffer from low self confidence?
If you do or think that you do, you should prioritize the task of increasing your confidence levels in your personal development plan.
Self confidence is one of the key ingredients to achieve personal success so we should never underestimate the importance of it.
So how do you know if you have low self confidence?
Here are some common indicators:
- Sweaty palms
- Jiggling of the foot
- Poor posture
- Stuttering when speaking or hesitating before responding
- Shuffling around when speaking to someone or a group of people
- Feeling awkward when in the center of attention
- Constant negative self talk
No one naturally has low self confidence. It is through the years of conditioning and negative experiences in life that low confidence is gradually developed.
How one responds to setbacks and unfavorable circumstances determines their confidence level. Responding negatively will result in lower self confidence.
That is why the environment and way in which we were brought up also plays a big part.
It is entirely possible for someone to not be aware that he or she has low self confidence. He or she may think that what they are experiencing is normal when in fact what they show is a clear case of low self confidence.
This misconception can partly be attributed to societal dynamics.
Getting low self confidence from being modest and humble
In society, we are taught to be modest and humble. It is a way of respecting others and making them happy.
We should never stand out too much and show our abilities for the fear of appearing arrogant. This may upset others and making them feel inferior.
The problem comes when some people do this to the point of being overly modest. They repeatedly put themselves down in front of others because of they fear they will upset people if they stand out, give opinions and show their capabilities.
When this is done repeatedly, a person can become less confident because of the conditioning of that behavior. The mind starts to develop the belief that that person indeed has low confidence.
They think that what they are doing is normal as it is a good social practice when in fact it is destroying their self confidence.
There’s nothing wrong with speaking up or telling a person he or she is wrong. It is totally fine to communicate or show your skills. As long as it is done to genuinely communicate something rather for the desire to put others down or feed your own ego.
Seeking Improvement
Fortunately there are many things that you can do to become more confident. There are various means and practices that can help develop self confidence.
For example, people who have taken up dance lessons usually become more self confident of their body. They feel more comfortable in their own skin and no longer feel awkward when being the center of attention.
They become less self conscious about the way they stand or where to place their hands and things like that.
Improving one’s confidence is by no means an easy task, but it can most definitely be done. Gaining experience is one of the best ways of gaining self confidence.
The more you experience, the more confident you become.
As such, try to experience as much as you can. Take on challenges, try new things and put yourself in situations that you have never been in before.
As long as you are able to respond positively to it no matter what the result, that experience will further develop your confidence.