As someone who has never had the best confidence (this is an under-exaggeration), I have had to learn to cope with feeling like I don't look good enough or that I'm not worth it. It's been a few long years of working on feeling more confident. I have made many milestones, like being able to talk to a stranger without feeling insecure, or being able to go out and show my face with no makeup on. (The last one was very hard for me. It took a lot for me to show my bare face to strangers). I want to be able to get to the point where I can be even more confident with my face and body and my abilities. But, for now, I'm a work in progress. And that's okay. I've found that a few things have helped me through my journey and I hope maybe this will help you too.
1. Remove people from pedestals
I am someone who will put people I don't know on pedestals. I will think they are prettier than me or cooler than me or smarter than me. If you remove this person from your mind as "standing above you" and you bring them down to your level, you will realize that they are not better than you, just different.
2. Write down things you like about yourself
This is a really good one because it transforms negative thoughts into positive ones. If you write down everything you like about yourself, you can take a look at it in moments when you feel insecure and realize that you are better than you may think.
3. Never let go of "your" people (the ones who think you are amazing as you are)
I know that sometimes when I am feeling insecure, someone giving me a compliment can help tremendously. If you are around people who believe that you are wonderful, and who tell you this often, it is hard for negative thoughts to stay.
4. Get help
Do you feel as though nothing will help your confidence? Maybe try talk therapy. Finding a therapist who can give you methods to raise your confidence can help tremendously. But talk therapy isn't for everyone. If it's not your thing, no worries. There are many other ways to become more confident.
5. Wear clothing that makes you feel good
I often find that on days when I am wearing a dress I love or jeans that I think look good on me, my confidence is so much higher. Sometimes all it takes is dressing how you want and wearing clothing that makes you feel better about yourself.
6. Workout/Eat healthier/Find a new skincare regimen
This one, I have to admit, is one of the harder ones for me. I never feel quite motivated enough to work out or eat healthier, so I work on my confidence in other ways. But i believe that getting healthier through working out and eating better, can improve your confidence not only by maybe changing your appearance but also by improving your mental health. All of those endorphins people talk about are actually very important in improving your mental health.
7. Accept that some days are just worse than others
I know that when I'm having a really bad day and feeling really insecure, I try to tell myself that by the next morning, I will feel improved. For me, insecurity has it's bad days, and if I tell myself that I will only feel this bad for a day or so, I feel much better.
