Eight ways to feel confident by doing | Types of learning | Courses and learning | National Careers Service

Types of learning

Eight ways to feel confident by doing

Taking positive action is a good way to improve your confidence. Taking steps in a new direction will make you feel more in charge of your life and your future. It is also a good way to get to know yourself better.

1. Try new things

Take risks and do new things, even things you feel you might not be good at. If you do better than you expected, you'll feel great; and even if you don't succeed, at least you'll have given it a go. Taking risks and trying new things helps you develop and move forward in life.

2. Take a confidence-building course

You can search our course directory for courses to help you improve your self-confidence. Use the keywords confidence building and assertiveness.

• search our course directory

3. Set yourself a challenge

Set yourself a challenge in an area in which you need to gain confidence: talking to people, using the phone to make an appointment, using the computer, for example. The more you try things, the easier you will cope with challenging situations.

4. Stop trying to please

Be confident in your opinions and actions, and be prepared to explain them to anyone who may not agree with you. Don't say what you think others want you to say - be your own person.

5. Learn to say no

Say no clearly, but without being aggressive or rude. Give an explanation, but be firm.

6. Gain confidence from different areas of your life

You can gain confidence in many different ways. You can feel good about yourself because of your job, with friends and family, through voluntary work, or through a hobby you enjoy. Do things that make you feel good in all aspects of your life, then if there’s a problem in one area of your life, you can still enjoy the others.

7. Set goals

Be clear which areas you want to work on and what you want to achieve. Set clear goals you think you can reach. Be prepared to adjust them if you need to.

8. Take small steps

When setting goals break them down into long-term and short-term goals. Short-term goals should be steps leading towards the long-term goals. For instance, your long-term goal could be to change career; your short-term goals could be to research job opportunities, see a careers adviser and improve your skills by doing a course. Taking small steps builds confidence, and makes you feel like you're moving forward.