February is such an interesting month. It’s a shorter month with 28 days and 29 days on leap years. You also come into Valentine’s Day right in the middle of the month.

Personally I have always loved Valentine’s Day, but I know not everyone feels this way. To some people, I know Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder of being single. Next week, I’ll talk about things to do on Valentine’s Day when you’re single as alternatives to being out with a partner.

But for now, I want to talk about ways to boost your confidence. I myself haven’t always been the most confident in myself, and that’s something I’m continually working on. I thought it would maybe be helpful to mention ways that have made me feel more confident.

• Dress well but comfortably- I always feel better when I look better. But this doesn’t mean to be uncomfortable. If you’re not comfortable in dresses, for example, don’t wear them! Look nice but don’t sacrifice your own well-being.
• Surround yourself with good people- I have great friends who aren’t afraid to compliment me (and I do the same). But these same people are also gonna be the one calling me out when I need it. Friends who are honest have helped to build my confidence so much.
• Take selfies- If your confidence is in your body image, then take selfies. When I was working on building my confidence up, every time I felt like I looked nice, I would take a selfie. You can post them if you want, but it’s important to recognize days you feel your best.
• Live a more healthy lifestyle- Better eating and exercise goes a long way. You feel better when you know you’re doing things to help you.
• Practice- If your confidence issue isn’t about self-esteem, but rather about performance, then practice. I know a lot of people struggle to feel confident public speaking, and many people hate it. Practice your speech or whatever you’re doing. Give yourself time to run it through. When I first started teaching in my classroom, I would spend about ten minutes before my first class going over my PowerPoint for the day. If it’s sports, then put in the work. Your practice will pay off.
• Improve what you can- Most of the time, lack of confidence stems from one or two things not being right. Once you can identify those areas, then you know what to improve.
• Try your best- There’s a decent amount of research out there that mentions that even trying will help your confidence. Who knows? If you try, you might actually do well and succeed!
• Be willing to learn- This goes back to the accepting criticism that I talked about last week. People who are out to help you will give you criticism as to how you can improve, not what you did wrong. One thing that’s really helping me be more confident as a teacher is a fact that even the teachers who are telling me how to improve recognize that even they aren’t perfect at it
• Recognize you’re not alone- We all have common experiences about many things. People go through very similar circumstances and thoughts. It’s okay to seek help from others on things. We’re social beings. We need each other so let’s help each other.
• Be proud of yourself- It’s okay not to be perfect. What matters is that you’re doing work you’re proud of. It doesn’t have to be the best work, but it’s important to be proud of yourself.

I hope these tips help! I need you to recognize that, like many things, it’s a process and a journey. It won’t come easy, but it’ll be so worth it in the end. Stay the course. Be better! (Sorry if the format is a little different this week. It was typed on my phone rather than my laptop)