Confidence comes from the way we feel about ourselves, from the acceptance of one's body and mind (self-esteem), and from the trust in one's abilities, skills, and experiences.

Confidence is a trait that most people would like to have.

Confidence is a state of mind.

Confidence is part of the result of how we were raised. We learn from others from young ages and we let ourselves to be influenced in how we think and act about ourselves or how to handle different situations . Therefore, confidence is a result of our experience and learning .

Low confidence can be the outcome of many factors, including:

Fear of the unknown, criticism, dissatisfaction with personal appearance (self-esteem), lack of preparation, giving too much importance of others opinion, tendency towards perfectionism etc.

Overconfidence can be also a problem when you start believing that you can do anything without having the skills, abilities, and knowledge needed to do it well. In these situations, overconfidence can lead to failure. Being overconfident also means being seen by others as arrogant or selfish.

 Confidence is also about how we see our ability to perform roles, functions and tasks.

Confident people appear to be at peace with themselves and their work. They invite trust and inspire trust in others, they lift others up. These are all attractive qualities because you want to interact to people who are balanced.

Confidence is not an innate fixed trait. This is a skill that can be acquired and improved over time.

Social confidence can be developed through practice in different situations either work related (groups, teams) or personal ones (friends, new acquaintances). For some, engaging in different conversations, in different environments is easier than for others, but with some practice, and more important with the desire to become more confident, individuals can observe the structure and flow of conversations before participating and prepare questions and topics to discuss in advance. Developing that will also help improve emotional intelligence in social situations.

Outside of social contexts, confidence is gained through personal and professional achievements.

Confidence can have a big impact when it comes to career growth. People who lack self-confidence tend to doubt their decisions, avoid taking risks, take criticism to heart, and can influence their behavior and slow down their career paths.

Do you have?

Better communication – when you are confident you find it easy to ask questions or share ideas

Solutions-oriented focus - If you have self-confidence, you're more likely to find solutions that helps to build trust amongst team members.

Openness to feedback - For confident people, learning from mistakes is a way to grow

Greater resilience - Those that are confident play to their strengths and take control to overcome obstacles, feeling more equipped to deal with stressful situations.

Confidence is trusting your own judgment, abilities, and skills, it’s about valuing yourself and feeling worthy, regardless of your flaws or how others view you. 

Recognize the triggers of self-talk and stereotypes

It sounds like this:

• I am not good enough.
• I will probably fail.
• You can't do this.
• I don't want to take risks.
• If you're naturally not good at it, stop doing it.
• It's not my fault.
• Why try if it doesn't change anything?  

Developing a Growth Mentality by changing your perspective:

You may not always be able to change what is happening around you, but you always have options

of how you react, or how you look at the situation. Asking yourself how you can see things differently or what is the cost for you to stay in the same fixed mentality..

The most important factor in developing a growth mindset is starting to practice this by taking the first step in your action. Practice all the time and if you fail learn from mistakes and practice some more.

Visualize who you want to be. How do you see yourself as a confident person, what do you feel, what do you think about you and what behavior you have because of that.

What did you yourself learn from that experience?

What changes can you make next time or in the future?

What can help you achieve this goal?

A quick fix may not help in the long run. If you're feeling down and things don't seem to be getting better, it's worth talking to someone who knows how to help you.