My last article dealt with the subject of pessimism and will power. This article continues on the subject of mental well-being and self-confidence. Pessimism or self-esteem is different to self-confidence. Confidence relates to a person’s ability in a particular area of their life. A person can be confident about their particular abilities, but still have low self-esteem. While achieving confidence in a particular area of life won’t necessarily improve self-esteem, it is a reflection of an attitude related to your skills and abilities.
How to increase self-confidence
Recognise and emphasise your strengths. Reward and praise yourself for your efforts and progress
When you stumble on an obstacle, treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Don't dwell on failure
Set realistic and achievable goals. Do not expect perfection; it is impossible to be perfect in every aspect of life
Slow down when you are feeling intense emotions and think logically about the situation
Challenge making assumptions about yourself, people and situations
Recognise that past negative life experiences do not dictate your future
Express your feelings, beliefs and needs directly and respectfully
Another way
There is yet another way of boosting your self-confidence, and it is very useful for those who feel practising the above may itself be difficult. The way is very simple and involves the use of colours. The use of colour to help people heal goes back to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese, all of whom used colour to try to affect the mental states of people through the colours used to decorate rooms, the incorporation of natural colors to induce a calm state, and the use of light to balance mental states.
In fact, for at least one condition — seasonal affective disorder, or SAD — research has shown that light therapy can help to mitigate the depression and anxiety caused by the disorder. Similarly, it is believed that different colours can induce specific emotional or mental states that can change mood, the level of anxiety, or the individual’s perception of a situation.
How it works
Draw a line with pink colour along the periphery of your nail of left hand middle finger. Whether or not colour therapy is a valid model, it may be a helpful component of a treatment plan for individuals who feel connected to particular colours.
Finding the right treatment program for the individual is the first step on the path that is most likely to lead to recovery from the individual’s mental health disorders, leading to a more productive and hopeful future.
