Don’t Let These Confidence Zappers Derail Your Self-Esteem

Very few of us are blessed with high levels of self-esteem; those people who appear to be super-confident are probably faking it. In truth, many of us feel the opposite. Our confidence can take more than a few knocks in our daily lives, and certain confidence zappers may be to blame.

But here’s the thing. We don’t have to let anything or anyone knock us down. Take a look at the following confidence zappers, and then counter their effects with the suggestions we give you.

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Issues with body image

This is a biggie for many of us, especially when it comes to issues around body weight. And there might be other perceived issues with our body that affects us, as well. It might be the color of our hair, the size of our hands, or the complexion of our skin. Our self-confidence can be zapped, not only by the way we think of ourselves but also from the way we perceive what others think of us, whether they evidence this or not.

If you are relating to this, then focus on this. Nobody’s perfect! Not even those glam models you see online and in beauty mags, as quite often, their images have been airbrushed to erase their worst features. While you can try to make changes with certain body issues, you should also start to love yourself more, imperfections and all. We have some advice here that might be useful for you.

Sensory issues

Particularly with age, but not uniquely so, you can suffer from sensory problems. You might start to struggle with your hearing for example, and your eyesight might deteriorate over time. Not only might these issues affect your self-confidence, especially when in the company of others, but having to wear hearing aids and glasses might also affect the way you think about yourself.

Again, nobody’s perfect, and if you have hearing or sight issues, then you are not alone. We all have to accept it as a fact of life, especially as we get older. However, technology has moved on in leaps and bounds, so you should be able to live a comfortable life without losing confidence. Many types of hearing aids are near-invisible to the naked eye, so you shouldn’t have to worry about wearing them when in the company of others, and you can probably buy a pair of glasses that are fashionable, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the way you look. And besides, on that latter point, you could also try contact lenses if you still feel self-conscious.

Toxic friendships

Friends should support us, lift us up, and benefit the way we live our lives. But as many of us have experienced, there are those so-called friends who do the opposite. They criticize us for what we wear. They gossip about us behind our backs. And they drag us into behaviors and ways of thinking that don’t sit right with us. They derail our self-confidence in the process, but rather than risk loneliness, we put up with their behavior.

So, what about your friendships? If you have any toxic friends in your life, let them know how they make you feel. Stand up for yourself and tell them to stop hurting you. And if they won’t listen to reason, ditch them! Then spend more time with the people who do make you feel good about yourself, or look for ways to make new friends to improve your social circle. Your life will benefit if you do.

Finally

If you have related to anything we have said in this article, take the suggested steps to improve the way you feel. And for anything else zapping your confidence, consider what they are, and then do all that is needed to turn things around for yourself. We all deserve to feel special, and whether you believe it or not, the same applies to you.