Do you admire those people who effortlessly swan into a social environment and just own their space… comfortable, relaxed, happy? 

Your self worth being negative or positive plays a vital role when it comes to your confidence level. If you have low self-esteem, you have low self worth and therefore will be less inclined to enter a room with your head held high but rather seek out the solitude of a empty corner in the room…

Everyone seems drawn to them. Everyone likes a confident person, especially if it is natural and not arrogant, but warm and just them knowing who they are and owning it. 

The unmistakable feeling of anxiety and excitement can be difficult to manage in social situations. It’s no wonder why so many people anticipate social situations with dread. The feelings of anxiety and excitement release chemicals in the brain which can be good or bad depending on how you handle it. Knowing you’re not the only one is a good way to start gaining confidence. 

Here are some tips to practice in helping you gain the confidence you need to rock those social gatherings:

• Maintain Confident Body Language:

Nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expressions can be just as important as your words. Your posture is key. Sit up straight, shoulders back and head up. Avoid crossing your arms, which can make you seem closed off. If you feel nervous, rub your hands together or clap them lightly to release some of the tension. 

• Look People in the Eye When You Talk to Them:

Looking someone in the eye shows that you’re listening and interested in what they have to say. If you have trouble looking people in the eye, start by looking at their chin, then move up until you’re looking them straight on in the eyes. 

• Speak Slowly and Clearly When You Talk With Others:

Slow down when talking; take a breath before speaking so that your voice sounds confident and not rushed or nervous sounding like it could be when speaking fast or too quickly because of fear of making a mistake or saying something wrong.  

• Remove Distractions:

If you’re distracted by a buzzing cell phone or an itch on your nose, other people will notice it and become distracted too! Remove distractions that are not essential to the conversation at hand so that you can focus on the other person and not let them see you struggling with something else that’s going on in your life. 

• Keep an Open Mind:

Keep an open mind about the people around you; this will help you relax and focus on enjoying yourself rather than worrying about what others think of you. Remember that everyone has their own struggles in life, and they may not have time to judge you based on their own issues. 

• Be Yourself:

Don’t try being someone you’re not just because it makes you feel more comfortable in social situations — it won’t work in the long run anyway! Act like yourself when meeting new people (even if it means being shy for awhile), because eventually people will see past any awkwardness and appreciate who you really are underneath all those layers of nervous energy or forced bravado 

• Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About Yourself:

If someone asks you a question about yourself, don’t be afraid to answer! Sharing information about yourself makes others more comfortable around you because they get to know more about who you are as a person (which helps them relate better). It also gives them insight into what kind of things make you happy — which might give them ideas for future dates or outings with friends! 

• Let others speak as well:

When you’re in a social setting, the most important thing to do is listen. If someone is talking to you, look at them, nod and make non-verbal cues to show that you’re listening. If there’s more than one person talking at once, don’t try to be the life of the party or hog the conversation.  Focus on the person who’s speaking rather than thinking about what you want to say next. If there’s something specific you want to talk about, wait until there’s an appropriate break in the conversation before bringing it up so that it doesn’t seem like you’re only interested in yourself or your own ideas and opinions. 

• Build up your self esteem and worth:

Be kind to yourself firstly. Practise mantras that help to keep your mind on something positive about yourself… I AM BEAUTIFUL, I AM WORTHY etc. Try point out something you like about yourself everyday because what you tell yourself MATTERS and sticks with you, good and bad. Focus on what you enjoy doing or what makes you happy, let those feel good endorphins help keep your mind positive. Surround yourself with positive people as those that we surround ourselves with do have an impact on us. Most importantly you need to learn to ACCEPT and love who you are, you are unique and amazing.

Our self-esteem is based and built on how we feel about ourselves, how we value ourselves. It can seem almost impossible at times to change our views about ourselves especially when we have built up a constant negative opinion on who we are and our own self worth. Having a negative outlook about yourself can cause social interactions to be awkward and uncomfortable but if you build yourself up, you build up your confidence and those challenges become less daunting. It is vitally important to keep reminding ourselves that we are worthy, that we are valued and that we matter… YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL no matter what your inner thoughts and feelings have told you. At the end of the day the way you feel about yourself can CHANGE, yes, you can change it. It won’t be easy but nothing worthy ever is and YOU ARE WORTHY.

The most important thing to remember is not to put too much pressure on yourself. You may find that it takes some time for these strategies to make a difference, but even small behavioural changes can help you to feel more comfortable in social situations over time. Remember, the point of putting these ideas into practice isn’t about mastering a certain skill or outcome—it’s about embracing the social aspects of being human and finding ways to enjoy yourself through meaningful connections. And you deserve to feel good about yourself and your life!