3 surprising ways to more self-confidence

Self-confidence can come from surprising sources.

As a life coach, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and yoga teacher, I’m gifted with the perspective of seeing how mental and emotional states interrelate with the body.

In fact, unlike the typical western approach where we treat self-confidence as more of a mind issue, in the yogic sciences, it’s seen as inextricably linked to the overall state of the body. This means that by making optimizations to the mind OR the body, you can effect changes in your level of self-confidence.

Here are three ways that you can not only build your confidence, but also create a stronger foundation for a life of success and joy.

#1 – Routine

When a solid routine leads the flow of your day, it creates a sense of groundedness and strength (in Ayurveda we say it balances pitta and vata). In other words, routine helps to even out your emotions, reduce the amount of energy needed to do things and keep stress under control.

The most basic building blocks of routine are:

• Consistent bed time (by 10pm)
• Consistent morning wake up time (6-7am)
• Consistent meal times (lunch close to noon and dinner by 6pm, breakfast can vary)

If you don’t have these already pretty much set in stone, begin here. It can take awhile to set up your life on a 10pm bed time (especially if you’re a night owl like I used to be).

The next level of routine is:

• Exercise at the same time every few days
• Morning routine of self-care
• Evening routine of winding down (take about an hour)
• Time block work activities like email, returning phone calls, focus time, admin hours

These activities help to bring more nourishing activities into your life and establish a rhythm to your regular activities so that you feel taken care of and in charge of your day.

When you feel that YOU manage your time (instead of other people’s expectations) you tap into your power to create what you want, which naturally builds more self-confidence.

#2 – Digestion

In Ayurveda, we see digestion as the root of mind-body balance.

Your nervous system has an intimate relationship with your digestive system. There are so many nerves connected to your gut that it’s now being called “the second brain”. If your digestion is out of whack or you consistently eat foods that contribute to imbalance, then it can effect your tendency to feel overwhelmed, irritable and judgy (and self-doubt is just a form of judging yourself).

If you have any of these symptoms:

• Lots of burping
• Bloating
• Gas or constipation
• Acid reflux
• Loose stools/diarrhea

then spending time getting your digestion in order can be an empowering way to increase your well-being and confidence.

This can be an incredible journey of getting to know yourself better, finding ways to satisfy your emotional needs other than stuffing yourself with junk and learning how to create vital energy for yourself via your daily food choices.

Some easy tips to get started are:

• Eat warm, cooked foods for most meals
• Replace aggravating beverages like coffee and alcohol with delicious alternatives like teeccino and non-alcoholic seltzers
• Replace processed snacks and meals with home-cooked foods that you batch prepare ahead of time

#3 – Meditation

Yes, this is another plug for meditation, lol.

But we hear about it ALL the time because the practice of meditation has incredible power to transform your brain. It quite literally creates new neural pathways, which represent a new way of thinking about yourself and the world.

When you consistently experience moments of sustained focus, your worry and self-doubt naturally fall away. At first, it might be just for the few minutes that you’re meditating. As you strengthen your meditation practice, the effect amplifies into the rest of your life.

Self-doubt comes from your negative thoughts and beliefs about yourself. Meditation helps you to experience yourself beyond those thoughts so that you can access that deeper part of you that is capable, worthy and amazing (for just being alive).

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I hope this blog post gets your wheels turning. There’s so much you can do to increase your confidence, and so many of these things have amazing side effects that can transform your day-to-day life.

There’s no better time to begin than now.

xoxo

Heidi

Having the knowledge for how to have more self-confidence is only the beginning. It has to be put to use in order for you to get results. And that’s where most of us stop.

If you’re ready to move on from the research phase and into the lets-get-this-done phase, I can help. I offer a free consult for people who want to take the next step. This coaching call is a powerful conversation that will help you to see your life – and your possibilities – in new ways. Schedule here.