Feeling low in self-confidence can be very hard. Lacking in confidence can hold you back at work, in social settings, and even in caring for your health.

If you are lacking in self-confidence, it there anything that you can do to change that? Is your self-confidence in your control?

There are some things you can do to control your life and teach yourself to feel more confident. Try these actions and embrace your new confident self.

1. Groom yourself. This seems obvious, but when you feel bad about yourself, self-care often drops down your list of priorities. A shower can make a big difference to how confident you feel about yourself. Taking the time to clean yourself, wash your face, or even put on a little make-up can greatly improve your self-image. 
2. Dress nicely. If you’re well dressed, you’re sure to feel better about yourself. You will feel more presentable and successful, and more able to take on the world. Dressing well means something different to everyone. Choose something that makes you feel good, whether that’s a designer dress or a trendy pair of glasses from eyeglasses.com. 
3. Think positive. Learn to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. There are ways to change your thoughts and then make good things happen for yourself. If you catch a negative thought, cut it off and let it go. Turn the thought into something positive instead, and this skill will soon become a habit. 
4. Kill negative thoughts. Start paying attention to your self-talk. Notice how you think about yourself and what you’re doing. Soon, you will be able to immediately recognize negative self-talk that is knocking you back. When you notice it, imagine the negative thought is a bug. Catch it, stomp on it, and kill it. 
5. Get to know yourself. The wisest general knows the enemy very well. You cannot defeat an enemy you do not know. When you’re trying to combat poor self-image and switch it for self-confidence, your enemy is you. Get to know yourself well. Listen to your thoughts. Write a journal about yourself and the thoughts that you have. You can use this to analyze why you have negative thoughts. Start to think about the good things about yourself instead. Think about the things that you do well, and the things that you like about yourself. Consider your limitations and work out which are real, and which are ones that you have invented. 
6. Act positive. While you’re thinking positive, put it into action. Action is key to self-confidence. You can change how you feel, one action at a time. You are what you do, so by changing what you do you can change who you are. Talk to people in a positive way. Put energy into your actions. You’ll soon feel a difference. 
7. Be kind and generous. If you are kind to others and act in a generous way with your time and what you have, you can improve your self-image. By putting kindness out into the universe, you get kindness back. By doing good, you will start to feel good about yourself, and think you are a good person. 
8. Get prepared. It’s difficult to be confident in yourself if you don’t think you will be able to do well at something. You can push back that feeling by preparing yourself as well as you can. Not preparing is like taking an exam without studying. If you’ve studied and prepared well, you can go in with confidence. Think of life like this exam and get prepared. 
9. Know your principles and live them. What are the principles that you have built your life on? If you don’t know, you will struggle, as your life is likely to lack direction. Figure out what your key principles are, and live your life by them. 
10. Speak slowly. This is very simple, but it can make a real difference to the way that others see you. People who have authority speak slowly. This shows confidence. Someone who feels that they are not worth listening to will speak quickly, in order to stop others from waiting to hear something not worth listening to. Even if you don’t feel confident, practice slowing down your speech. Don’t take it to an extreme, but don’t sound rushed.
11. Stand tall. Remind yourself to stand up tall and straight. When you do, you will feel much better about yourself. Imagine that a rope is pulling the top of your head up toward the sky. The rest of your body will straighten automatically. People who stand tall and with confidence are more attractive too. 
12. Increase competence. To feel more competent, become more competent. Study and practice. For example, if you want to be a better writer, do a little at a time and don’t try to be a successful writer overnight. Blog, write a journal or write short stories. 
13. Set a small goal and achieve it. People often make the mistake of trying to achieve too much too soon. When they fail, they get discouraged and give up. Instead, aim for something smaller first that is more achievable. Set a goal for yourself that you know you can achieve, and then achieve it. The more you achieve these small goals, the better you will feel. Soon, you’ll be able to set bigger goals. 
14. Change a small habit. You don’t need to tackle a big habit, like giving up smoking. Start with a small habit, like waking up ten minutes earlier every day, or drinking a glass of water when you wake up. Choose something small that you know you can do. Do this for a month. When you’ve changed the habit, you’ll feel more confident. 
15. Focus on solutions. If you’re a natural complainer or are someone who focuses on problems, work on changing your focus now. Focusing on solutions instead of problems is a big way to boost your confidence. Combat negative thoughts by asking yourself how you can solve it. What’s the solution?
16. Smile. We all feel much better when we smile, and it helps us to be kinder to others too. A smile is a small thing that can have a chain reaction. It’s a great thing to do and will make those around you feel better too. 
17. Volunteer. This goes with the tip to be kind. Can you find some time to volunteer for a good cause? Doing something to improve the lives of others will be some of the best time you’ve ever spent, and will make you feel much better about yourself. 
18. Be grateful. Practice gratitude. Taking the time to notice what you have in your life and what others have given you is a humbling activity. It can be a very rewarding thing to do and will improve your self-image. 
19. Exercise. Exercise is one of the most empowering things that you can do for yourself. Exercise release endorphins that ease stress and boost happiness. It’s also a form of self-care, so you’ll feel better by doing something good for yourself. It can also give you a sense of achievement as you notice things like being able to run for longer or lift a heavier weight. Start the habit, and you’ll feel the benefits quickly. 
20. Do something you have been putting off. Are you a procrastinator? Is there something on your to-do list that’s been sitting there forever? Get it done. Tackle the task first thing in the morning so it’s out of the way and not hanging over you anymore. Start your day with a sense of achievement.