It’s common for our self-confidence to take a dip, or even a dive, in midlife; in fact, research has shown that midlifers experience more self-doubt than any other age group.
But why is this?
Our forties and fifties are fraught with the ‘unexpected’ – a whole array of changes, challenges, and transitions that can knock our self-esteem as we try to figure out our way forward:
• The signs of ageing making us feel ‘less than’
• Feeling left behind in the world of tech
• Having less certainty about our value in the workplace
• The breakdown of relationships
• The impacts of perimenopause; hot flushes, a lack of sleep and brain fog impacting on our ability to perform at our best
• Not being as fit or healthy as we used to be
• Feeling ‘invisible’
• Losing a loved one
• Empty-nest syndrome
• Not knowing what we want to do in life
The list goes on.
However, the good news is that we can rebuild our self-confidence, and even more excitingly, when we understand what true confidence is, and where it comes from, we can have an endless supply!
Confidence is created and it is created by you. It’s cyclical and starts by taking action. The more things you do to feel good about yourself, the more confident you become and the more confident you become, the more you want to live life to the full!
Whilst external factors can boost confidence – how we look, what others think of us, the car we drive, the job title we hold – this type of confidence is fleeting.
By focusing on our internal confidence – what and how we think about ourselves, having a growth mindset and listening to, and acting on, the desires of our true self – we deepen our connection to who we truly are, and become more and more comfortable with our own abilities, qualities, personality, and beauty.
Here are 12 practices to boost your inner-confidence:
1. Acceptance and self-love
2. Set boundaries to protect your energy
3. Pay close attention to your inner dialogue
4. Give yourself a chance to succeed
5. Recognise and focus on your strengths
6. Celebrate yourself
7. Do more of what makes you happy
8. Spend time with people who energise you
9. Be intentional with your life
10. Prioritise self-care
11. Invest in yourself
12. Stretch your comfort zone and try new things
Having a healthy inner confidence is crucial to being happy in midlife and it starts with taking action. What can you do today to give yourself a boost?
Want to discover more about rebuilding your self-confidence? Then take a look at our Midlife Confidence Reset Retreat, running on Saturday 22 July and Saturday 30 September from 10am – 4pm in Southbourne, Dorset.
