How to Build Self-Confidence

Find your self-confidence on the other side of fear and become the most confident version of yourself

Low self-confidence can hold you back and prevent you from reaching your full potential as a business owner. I know you might be thinking that you don’t have the skills or what it takes to build a business you love, but I’m here to tell you that you do – it’s just your lack of self-confidence speaking. 

I know that you might not feel that confident right now, but this can be changed. Self-confidence is about changing your mindset and believing in yourself. Building self-confidence takes practice, but it’s a skill that can definitely be learned. 

So, in this blog post, I am going to share with you my top tips on how to build self-confidence. I am going to share powerful tools, journal prompts, and affirmations for self-confidence. It’s time for you to step into the most confident version of you!

Two misconceptions about self-confidence

1. You are or aren’t a confident person

If you think you aren’t a confident person and you’ll never be, it’s not true. The belief that you either are or aren’t a confident person is not true. You can cultivate confidence and learn to be more self-confident, even if you currently don’t feel that confident.

Self-confidence is crucial as a business owner because confidence relates to belief and trust. If you don’t believe in yourself, your products or services, your clients won’t have belief and trust in you either. 

You don’t need to know exactly how to do something and you don’t need to have all the skills to be confident. You just need to have the belief that you can and are capable of doing something. So, ask yourself if you truly believe and trust in yourself. 

2. Confident people don’t have fear

I know you might be thinking that confident people don’t have fear. They do. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings about self-confidence. 

I can tell you from personal experience that it isn’t true. When I logged on for my first ever coaching session, was I confident? Absolutely not. But after completing my training and coaching for hours and hours, am I confident? Yes. 

Another example is when I recorded my first set of Instagram Stories and did my first Instagram Live. I felt really, really nervous. Now, having pushed through that fear, I feel totally confident doing so. 

So, self-confidence can absolutely be cultivated. If you’re doing something new, and you feel that fear rising, know that you can become more confident. Confident people understand that they can move past the fear and they take action regardless and don’t let the fear hold them back.

How to build self-confidence: 5 tools to develop confidence

1. Push yourself out of your comfort zone

As mentioned in my previous blog post on self-doubt, our brains are designed to seek familiarity and they don’t like the unknown. When you decide to do something new that pushes you out of your comfort zone – something that is synonymous with being a business owner – you can start to feel self-doubt and fear. 

Pushing through the discomfort and fear will help you gain self-confidence after doing the thing you’re nervous about – not before. For example, I gained confidence after I had coached for hours and hours and after I showed up on Instagram Stories multiple times. So, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone by doing the thing you’re nervous about. 

The idea is that by doing the things you’re nervous about, you can start to feel more self-confident when you’re on the other side of that fear. Today, do a little experiment and show up as if you’re your most confident self. What would you do differently? How would you act, dress, and speak? It’s all about believing in yourself and taking the first step.

2. Use grounding techniques to calm your nervous system

When fear pops up – and it will pop up as you take yourself out of your comfort zone – you can calm your nervous system by using grounding techniques. First, remember that fear is your brain trying to protect you from events it deems threatening, and it will feel uncomfortable. 

Grounding techniques are used to calm your nervous system and to remind yourself – and your brain – that you are safe. So, take yourself either physically or in your mind to a place where you feel safe and comfortable. Imagine yourself being in a safe environment, literally anywhere, or with a safe person, and allow yourself to relax there as long as you need. 

Also, journal prompts and affirmations are amazing tools to ground yourself and cultivate self-confidence. That’s why I have included a couple of beautiful affirmations and journal prompts for self-confidence below.

3. Share how you feel with someone you trust

Having someone who understands what you’re going through is so crucial as a business owner. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone. So, find someone you trust, share how you feel, and allow them to support you. If you feel you don’t know anyone who would understand you, consider hiring a coach. 

As a mindset and confidence coach, I love supporting my clients to feel confident and build confidence as they grow their businesses. This is why I offer support between sessions, so that I can be their number one cheerleader when fear pops up. I can help them challenge the fear and walk beside them whilst they push themselves to new heights. 

4. Overcome your limiting beliefs

Understand that there are beliefs you may not realise you have that are keeping you stuck. These beliefs might be the reason you feel you aren’t confident or capable of doing something. Overcoming these beliefs will allow you to create your dream business and feel more confident. 

You may not know what your limiting beliefs are because it’s the way you’ve always operated. Begin by checking in on yourself and by becoming more self-aware. Self-awareness is the key when it comes to overcoming limiting beliefs. 

So, start a daily journal practice. Write down how you feel. Note any situations that have brought up challenging emotions. Ask yourself what was triggered within you in that situation. From there, you can identify the limiting belief and challenge it. 

Ask yourself if the belief you have is really true. For example, is it true that you don’t have what it takes to be successful? The answer is no! Then, flip the belief into a positive affirmation. For example, I can do anything I want and create my dream life. Repeat the affirmation every time this limiting belief pops up.

5. Celebrate your wins

When you’re learning how to build self-confidence, it’s important to remind yourself of your wins and successes, especially when fear and doubt pop up. I recommend keeping a ‘success’ journal of your wins and successes in business.

Keep track of your wins, no matter how small they are. When you experience self-doubt, reflect on your progress so far. Look at all your wins and celebrate each and every one. Celebrate how far you’ve already come. 

Also, remember your “why” for starting a business. Think about the people you’ve impacted so far on your journey, and connect to your long-term vision. Think about all the people you can help if you push past the doubt and keep going.

Journal prompts to build self-confidence

These journal prompts will help you reflect on and cultivate self-confidence. 

• When have I felt my most confident self in the past?
• What can I use from this previous experience to support me now?
• How would my most confident self approach this?

Affirmations to cultivate self-confidence

Affirmations are positive and uplifting statements that help you cultivate self-confidence. As mentioned in my previous blog post on self-doubt, repeating affirmations is a powerful way to rewire the neural pathways in your brain. 

Affirmations help you focus on your positive qualities, instead of the negative. So, repeat your affirmations daily to reinforce the neural pathways that support the highest version of you, instead of focusing on what you feel you lack. 

These affirmations can be used to create self-confidence. I recommend repeating these as much as possible. Create a daily routine for repeating your affirmations. This can be in the morning after waking up, at lunchtime, or in the evening before bed. 

• I choose how I want to feel and I choose to feel confident. 
• My confidence is growing everyday.
• I know enough already and I’m continuing to learn and grow. 

When you’re experiencing lack of self-confidence, it’s helpful to seek out people who understand what you’re going through. Connecting with like minded women is a great way to build self-confidence, overcome limiting beliefs, and learn how to master your mindset.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. Join my free membership to connect with a community of supportive women.

Let me know how you get on with these tools to cultivate self-confidence. If you have any comments, thoughts, or questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

I would also love to connect with you on Instagram – follow me for mindset coaching and business mentoring support.

Love, 

Helen x