12 Ways Meditation Can Help You Build Confidence

Introduction

You probably know that meditation is an effective way to relax, but it can be used for many other purposes too.

For example, if you’re trying to build your confidence, a daily mindfulness practice may help,

Self-confidence is one of the most important ingredients for your happiness and success:

• It makes you feel more motivated and energetic.
• It can enhance your health.
• It helps you to reach your goals.
• It can even strengthen your relationships.

Do you want to feel more sure of yourself and your ability to face life’s challenges?

If so, then here are some tips and strategies to help you learn how to use meditation to build your self-esteem and confidence.

Using Meditation To Increase Your Awareness

Self-doubt can narrow your experiences and opportunities if you shy away from taking risks.

Meditation creates a safe space for looking at yourself and your habits with honesty and courage.

Try these strategies:

1. Scan your body. Your posture affects your confidence (as well as causing many other problems, which I discuss here). Start your meditation session by sitting up tall and taking deep breaths. Examine yourself from head to foot to spot any discomfort, and if you discover any tension, try squeezing your muscles and then releasing them.
2. Let go of judgements. Notice your thoughts and feelings, and embrace both your strengths and your weaknesses – but without criticizing them.
3. Challenge your assumptions. Do you cling to outdated beliefs that hold you back? Rewire your thinking by examining your typical reactions and considering more constructive approaches. (I have a free report about discovering your limiting beliefs, which you can find here if you are a member, and here if you are not yet a member.)
4. Make conscious decisions. It’s easy to wind up drifting along on autopilot, but often you need to stop for a moment and ask yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. Mindfulness practices help you to do this and consequently take charge of your life.

Using Meditation To Generate Compassion

You may be undermining your self-confidence without even realizing it.

This is where mindfulness and meditation can help – paying attention to your thoughts gives you an opportunity to transform the way you treat yourself.

These techniques can help you to be kind to yourself and boost your confidence:

1. Change your self-talk. What does your internal chatter sound like? Replace harsh messages with friendlier, more positive feedback. (You’ll find a number of other articles that touch on the issue of self-talk.)
2. Chant mantras. Reciting uplifting words and phrases is a proven way to stay focused during meditation. You can either write your own encouraging affirmations, or find inspiration in self-help books or online (or scriptures, if you’re religious).
3. Nurture yourself. Scheduling daily meditation time is a great way to start investing in your confidence and well-being. Make healthy eating, regular exercise, and restorative sleep part of your routine too – because if you don’t allocate time to spend on you, life will get in the way and it won’t happen.
4. Seek support. Childhood memories and other influences can make it difficult to show compassion for yourself. Consider listening to guided meditations or talking with a therapist if you need more assistance.

Using Meditation To Accomplish More

True confidence comes from within and recognizing your achievements can give you a boost.

Meditation teaches you to live more mindfully, and that can help you to excel in your personal and professional life.

Consider these tips:

1. Create balance. Meditation helps you to look at the big picture, and as you balance the various aspects of your life, your confidence and peace of mind will increase.
2. Express gratitude. Being thankful makes you feel more secure and connected to others. You’ll have the confidence to take worthwhile risks and try new things. Your warm and relaxed attitude will also make it easier to collaborate and build relationships with others.
3. Keep practising. Change is usually a gradual process, so be patient with yourself as you build your confidence. Expect some setbacks and evaluate your progress on a regular basis. You’ll probably find that meditating is more productive on some days than others. You’re a success as long as you keep trying. The key here is to make it a habit – something you do automatically every day. (The book Mini Habits by Stephen Guise is an excellent place to start on the subject of creating habits.)
4. Slow down. The stress of rushing around can erode your confidence. You’ll probably accomplish more with less effort as meditation trains you to move more deliberately. Figure out your priorities and shorten your To Do list. Take breaks throughout the day to prevent burn-out.

Conclusion

Meditation can, amongst many other benefits, make your confidence soar – and when you love and appreciate yourself for who you are, your life becomes richer and more rewarding.

And I get that it’s easy to have insufficient, or even no, confidence in yourself – I was lacking in this for a long time, until I realized other people’s opinions don’t count for much (especially those of people you don’t like or respect).

I also found, when I was giving presentations at work, to co-workers or even senior management, that the reason I was up there, in front of them, was because I knew something they didn’t – otherwise, why was I there?

We are all unique, we all have knowledge and experiences that others don’t, and that means we can all add value to those people with whom we share our lives.

To me, this alone helps instil confidence.

The flip side of this, of course, is to accept that you can be confident in something for the wrong reasons, so you have to learn to accept that you may not be correct occasionally – but as long as you can learn from that instead of letting your ego get in the way and becoming defensive, that’s find, because it’s all part of how we grow.

Finally, you might like to check out this premium article on other ways to regain your confidence.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Affirmation Software
2. Guided Mindfulness Meditations
3. Meditation For Beginners
4. Mini Habits