:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/how-to-boost-your-self-confidence-4163098-FINAL-7a66275c535d4f9288d7910f5fdf72a0.png "How to Be More Confident: 9 Tips That Work")
The majority of us probably want to be a little more confident. A feeling of trust in your abilities, qualities, and judgment? Sign us up. The American Psychological Association defines self-confidence as “a belief that one is capable of successfully meeting the demands of a task.”
It can refer to a general sense of trust in your ability to control your life, or it might be more situation-specific. For example, you might have high self-confidence in a particular area of expertise but feel less confident in other areas. Research suggests that confidence is important to health and psychological well-being.
But cultivating and maintaining confidence isn’t easy and it’s an easy thing to lose when you feel like you’ve failed or made a mistake. That’s why actively working on building up your self-confidence is so crucial, it’s something you have to maintain. As cheesy as it sounds, you do have to believe in yourself!
“The doubt that comes with second-guessing yourself has both internal and external repercussions,” explains Hannah Owens, LMSW. “Confidence not only affects you and how you feel about yourself, but it also communicates to others that you are trustworthy and capable—which can be helpful both socially and at