Yes, confidence (or, can also be referred to, in some ways, as self-esteem) is nothing but a state of mind. It is a state of mind which affects the way you think about yourself. It affects the way you feel about yourself, your situation, and the happenings around you. 

It can make your life easy or make it quite difficult to get by. It affects your day-to-day interactions with people, the way you put yourself across to others, and over time affects the way you move ahead in life. 

If you are suffering from a low confidence level or low self-esteem, you must already know the kind of problems it can cause in your life. Here is a guide on understanding why you are suffering from low self-esteem, what you can do about it, and how you can improve your confidence level, in general. 

Why do some people suffer from low self-esteem or a low confidence level?

Before you try to fix your low self-esteem issue, you must take some time out to figure out why you have been suffering from it in the first place. Usually, low self-confidence occurs because people have either suffered some stressful or difficult life events in the past or they have suffered a difficult childhood. 

You might suffer from low self-esteem because – 

• You might have had a difficult childhood. If your parents, friends, teachers, and others have been giving you negative messages since childhood then it is natural that you might have developed a negative image of yourself in your mind. 
• Maybe you have been told for a long time that you are not good enough or you are not able to meet the unexceptionally high expectations of those around you. 
• You tend to overthink and are more prone to negative thinking. Maybe, over a long period of time, you have led yourself to believe that you are less than what you should be. Or, you have yourself set impossible milestones for you to achieve. 
• You have suffered a traumatic, stressful life event that has affected your confidence. 

These are just a few reasons why you must be suffering from a low self-confidence level. 

Can you fix it?

Yes, you can fix it. The first step to fixing your problem is to understand why you are suffering from low confidence and then try to address the root cause. You can also seek help from a professional therapist to guide you to a better, more confident version of yourself. 

Tips to Improve Your Confidence 

Here are some simple practices to improve your self-confidence – 

• Change the way you think. Don’t try to overtly think negatively of yourself. Try to start thinking positively about yourself, your situation, and those around you. 
• Every day, try to do something challenging. It can be something as small as saying ‘Hi’ to a stranger. Just set some small, quick goals for you to achieve daily. 
• Don’t overthink. When we overthink, we tend to create problems in our minds that don’t even exist in reality. If you find yourself overthinking, stop right there – get up and start doing something else. 

Find a therapist on UK Therapy Guide 

Find a trusted, qualified therapist on UK Therapy Guide. With UK Therapy Guide, you can get started on the journey to mental well-being within minutes. We have hundreds of qualified therapists from all over the nation waiting to help you on your path to recovery.