How Self-Care Can Help You Build More Confidence

The following is an excerpt from Self-Care For The Real World by Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips. Published with permission from Abrams Books.

What was the last thing you said to yourself about yourself? "I can’t do that because I’ve never done it before?" "I can’t say that because they’ll think I’m stupid?" We are way more careful with what we say to other people than how we talk to ourselves. To ourselves, we can be so damn mean.

If you could only see yourself the way your best friend sees you, you would appreciate how beautiful, clever, funny and interesting you are.

It might feel like everyone else is more confident than you, but we can assure you, they’re not! Believe us when we say there are beautiful, talented people who are universally admired and considered to be confident who present a very different front to the world to the nervousness they are feeling inside.

Some people are fortunate to have confidence installed in their default settings by parents or loved ones. It is the ultimate gift. But if you weren’t given it, you can find a way to it as an adult. You have to figure it out for yourself. We hope these tips will help.