*This is a collaborative post
Whether you are a new parent or have older children, there may come a time in your life when you feel like you lack confidence. Confidence is a key quality to have, as it is going to impact all parts of your life. From parenting your children and cooking meals to going to the shops and socialising with your friends. Fortunately, confidence is something that can be built, with a lot of time, patience and practice.
So if you’re feeling like you don’t have any, it’s not the end for you. If you equip yourself with the right tools, knowledge and practice, you can be feeling confident and happier in no time. While there might be some additional challenges as you have children, it does not mean a confident and fulfilling life is not possible.
Here are some top tips for growing your confidence as a parent to help you get started.
What is confidence?
It is first important to understand what confidence is, and what it means to you. This will help you set the right goals and take the necessary steps in the right direction to build them. Being confident is a feeling of being secure and sure of your abilities, and yourself. This may look different for everyone, and in some cases, you might find that you are more confident in some areas, and not confident in other areas.
You should first look at why you feel like you have no confidence, and why you want to change that. This will serve as a great reminder as you go through the journey of developing your confidence. Next, you should think about all the areas you do feel confident in, and the areas that you don’t. Take some time to think about why you feel so different, and what is causing those feelings. When you understand why you are feeling confident in some areas, you can take that knowledge and apply it to the areas you feel less confident about. When you understand why you don’t feel so confident in some areas, you provide yourself with a good starting point to build from. For some new parents, there might not even be a cause that you can identify and it could just be huge changes to your lifestyle that have disrupted your confidence. On the other hand, some new parents worry about their skills as a parent as they compare themselves to other parents, and neglect taking care of themselves in the process.
This knowledge and understanding are key to building good confidence.
Top tips to build your confidence as a parent
As a parent, your top priority is your children. This can often result in a lack of confidence and care within yourself. If you are struggling, here are some top tips to help you build your confidence.
#1 Understand it is a journey
Being a parent is a journey. It is not something that you should always have figured out. Instead, it is a lifelong lesson, where you will continue to try new things, learn how to navigate parenthood, and make a lot of mistakes along the way. You should embrace this journey, focus on your own journey and not compare it to others, and understand it is not linear. When you accept this and start to go with the flow, you can relax more and start to feel more confident in your abilities.
#2 Find time to take care of yourself
While your children may be your top priority, you are not going to be able to care for them to the best of your ability, if you don’t look after yourself. If you neglect to put in some time to recharge your batteries, you are going to be stressed, tired and it will be easier to lack confidence in yourself. If you take time for yourself, you are going to have more energy, feel happier, and naturally emit more confidence.
#3 Find an outlet for your self-expression
Finding a way to express yourself is key to building confidence. This is because you are being your true self, and you are more likely going to feel more comfortable and happy. One of the most popular methods of self-expression within society is fashion. Clothes play a huge role in the way you feel. If you are wearing clothes that you don’t like or feel comfortable in, your body language will change and you will naturally shy away. However, if you wear clothes that you love, and enable you to express yourself, it can be extremely powerful and instantly make you feel more confident. Whether it’s beautiful handmade lace lingerie or that dress that you’ve always wanted to wear, you must go for it, as it will quickly change how confident and happy you feel.
As a new parent, your priorities tend to change and in turn, this can lead to a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities. Think about the areas of your life you lack confidence, and follow these top tips to start building it again.