Self-confidence is not something you are born with, it is cultivated over time. Certain simple daily habits shape the way we perceive ourselves and can help to (re)gain confidence, erase doubts and flourish. “Think of confidence like any muscle in your body: the more you work it, the stronger it becomes“, assures Dr. Adi Jaffe, mental health expert. To do this, a simple exercise consists of repeating a rewarding phrase to yourself every day.
“Getting into the habit of establishing positive self-talk has a powerful impact on actions and beliefs and reinforces high self-esteem. And if it seems unnatural at first, that’s completely normal; positive self-talk becomes easier and more authentic with repetition“, he confides in the columns of Psychology Today. Daily affirmations have a magical power (or almost): that of convincing your subconscious of what you are expressing to it. In other words, repeating the same sentence to yourself every day helps the brain integrate it, without you even realizing it.
If your confidence is wavering, doubt sets in, you face an impasse or you enter a spiral of negative thoughts, tell yourself “I am learning and I am growing”. This phrase allows you to both be indulgent with yourself and truly feel capable of taking on any challenge. The power of such talk increases self-love and self-compassion, two qualities that provide a supportive framework for overall mental health.
Research by two psychologists and authors of “Words Can Change Your Brain” shows that positive sentences stimulate certain areas of our frontal lobes that encourage the brain to develop qualities such as esteem or resilience. Conversely, negative words increase the activity of our amygdala, releasing hormones that produce stress and block all logic or reasoning.