To the Mom Who's Lacking Self-Confidence: Do This

To the woman lacking self-confidence, it can appear as though everyone around her is acing life with flying colors. She might tend to second-guess her decisions constantly. She often battles a distorted, negative view of herself. When she becomes a mom, her confidence levels soar one minute and then reach unprecedented lows the next if her self-worth depends on her parenting skills. I know because I am that woman.

To All the Women Lacking Self-Confidence

I’m probably the least qualified person to dish out advice regarding confidence (see the irony there!). As one all-too-familiar with the aforementioned internal musings and mindsets, my self-confidence has been on shaky grounds for much of my adolescent and adult life. The same nervous way I’d present a project in front of my high school English Lit class still makes an encore from time to time when I speak in front of groups of people.

I am prone to overanalyze my performance, judge myself too harshly, and wage an endless fight with the shame bully. When it comes to motherhood, my lack of confidence has vacillated depending on my kids’ behavior or the state of affairs in my household.

I have only started looking at my (lack of) confidence introspectively over the last couple years, and taking steps to conquer my limiting beliefs toward myself. And though there is a myriad of layers that require hard work and sifting, I know my daughters are watching me and learning about themselves in the process. I want them to grow up to be confident, wholehearted women one day…and I also want the same for myself.

My journey toward self-love has taught me that it’s imperative to invest in myself the same way I invest in my kids, and seek to know and understand myself on a deeper level.

Practical Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Consider learning new skills or growing stronger in existing ones.

Sewing, crafting, knitting (check out places like JoAnn, Michaels, or local meetup groups)
Writing (a writing group and online classes are great places to start)
Pottery, painting, drawing, calligraphy
Public speaking (Toastmasters is an international group with local clubs)
Aerial yoga, swimming, weight-lifting, barre, train for a marathon
Music lessons
Foreign languages
Non-credit classes at your local community college or university

Get to know yourself on a deeper level.

Kill the negative self-talk (I know this is hard, but it changes everything!)
Meet with a therapist, life coach, and/or spiritual mentor
Volunteer toward a cause you’re passionate about
Attend conferences, listen to podcasts, and read books by inspiring individuals
Consider and learn how your faith intersects with self-confidence
Make it your mission to do something out of your comfort zone daily
Allow yourself to dream big (write down your aspirations and keep them in front of you)
Surround yourself with encouraging, growth-minded individuals
Identify where you are the active agent in your life and start shifting priorities (Sure, there are plenty of factors that are simply out of our control, but there are also areas where we do have power. Diet, exercise, relationships, and free time activities are great places to start.)
Declutter (Yes! Purging, organizing, and saying goodbye to unnecessary things—both externally and internally—raises our confidence levels because we get rid of the items that no longer serve us.)

Growing Confidence Takes Time—And Grace

In all transparency, I haven’t discovered a secret formula that’s radically raised my confidence levels overnight (although I wish there were a magic potion!). Still, it’s something budding within me as I become more grounded in who I am. A large part of that journey entails unlearning former ways of thinking, like believing my self-worth depends on what others say or think about me.

Over time, as you begin to make meaningful investments in yourself and seek out ways to discover new, unknown parts of you, you’ll start to realize where your true worth as a woman lies. As you do, you’ll learn how to extend grace and love to yourself—not in a prideful, boasting sort of way, but in the same way you’d love and respect a cherished friend. In the process, you’ll be modeling for your kids the immeasurable value we should all place on our lives.

So move forward with grit and grace—you are worth it.