Welcome back! Maybe you’ve caught parts one and two in my series of tips for boosting confidence by visiting your campus and exploring its resources, but are you ready to hear the last four? Let’s dive right in.
Volunteer
There are very few things in life that will make you feel as empowered or confident as giving back to your community. When you help someone simply because it’s the right thing to do (without getting anything in return), it floods you with a sense of pride and purpose. Volunteering can help you see that there’s more to life than your immediate social bubble. It’s easy to get trapped in your daily routine and forget there are things beyond what you know. Force yourself to see new perspectives, and surround yourself with people actively trying to do the same. When you have a purpose and know that you’re making a difference in your community, how could you not feel good about yourself?
The Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement is a great resource for getting involved through EFSC. They can provide a list of places in Brevard County that are looking for volunteers. Eastern Florida also offers classes with a Service-Learning component, which make great electives if you’re feeling passionate about doing something for the greater good of the community!
Exercise
Physical fitness boosts self-confidence and mental acuity. When you’re active and get your blood flowing, you simply feel better. So run around campus. Use the college’s fitness facilities. Get moving for 30 minutes or more. There are a lot of options on-campus for getting in a workout, so get out there and explore them!
Need some motivation? Get a workout buddy. This person will not only help to keep you accountable, but they can also inspire you when you’re feeling discouraged. It can be difficult to stay on your A-game, but having someone to help you reach your highest potential is imperative when it comes to personal growth. Keep each other going, and both of you will reap the benefits of daily exercise.
Do Things Alone
This may seem like a simple thing, but a lot of people struggle with it. Start by getting comfortable going to the grocery store by yourself. If you can do that, great! Believe it or not, you’re already ahead of many people. Next, start progressing to other activities, like going to a sporting event or concert alone. If you like to travel, you might even decide to take a solo trip! My favorite thing to do alone is solo date night, when I see a movie, then take myself out for ice cream afterward. Most importantly, I don’t allow myself to get distracted by my phone. Staring at a phone during a date is rude, and a date with yourself is no different.
Knowing you can sit by yourself without the need to speak to anyone (and realizing that everyone is so absorbed in their own lives that they don’t even notice you’re alone) is empowering. You have everything you need right inside you — and that’s the definition of self-confidence!
Be Kind
This is pretty self-explanatory. Simply be a good person, do good deeds and always have the interests of others at heart. Maybe buy a meal for the person in line behind you at the Student Union. Compliment a stranger. Tell a classmate you admired their confidence during a presentation. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make someone’s day. Doing nice things for others will also elevate your mood and make you feel purposeful. The confidence that comes from being a good person shines outward from within!
Bonus Tip
Just as there are ways to build your confidence, there are also things that can prevent it from growing, but you can implement strategies to try and avoid that:
- Cut people out of your life who make you feel uncomfortable or apprehensive about yourself.
- Stop investing time in hobbies that pull you down or make you feel insecure — like scrolling endlessly on social media.
- Don’t engage in activities that cause you anxiety. (The first step is to recognize what those are. Pause when you feel this way, and take note of what you were doing before, even if you don’t think it’s related. Try to decrease the amount of time you spend doing it, and see what happens. It’s all trial and error!)
There’s no set blueprint when it comes to building confidence. It’s okay to have days when you’re totally down in the dumps. Allow yourself to feel those emotions, as it’s the only way to get more comfortable with them. Don’t beat yourself up about it; those feelings don’t last forever. The mind is a powerful thing. Remain positive in your thoughts, and positive results will follow. Remember that there’s always something to be thankful for (and gratitude goes a long way). Believe in yourself, work hard and be patient. You owe it to yourself to be your own hype person. A diamond is always a diamond — anywhere, anytime. So be the diamond that you are!
- Build Your Confidence by Coming To Campus: Part 3 - February 19, 2020
- Build Your Confidence by Coming To Campus: Part 2 - February 5, 2020
- Build Your Confidence by Coming To Campus: Part 1 - January 8, 2020
