4 Ways to Give Yourself a Confidence Boost

By lb50 on August 6, 2018

If you’re a woman over 50 jumping back into the dating scene, confidence can be an obstacle. Women frequently suffer a crisis of confidence after reaching the age of 50, a survey by online retailer isme.com shows. The survey found that eight out of 10 women over 50 feel like they have become invisible to men. This sense of being unnoticed is fueled by the fashion industry, which caters to younger women and promotes unrealistic ideals, participants in the survey felt.

Fortunately, if you’re feeling this way, there are steps you can take to improve your confidence. Here are four ways to give yourself a confidence boost.

1. Give Yourself a Makeover

Giving yourself a makeover can be an initial step toward boosting your confidence. One of the best ways to start a makeover is getting a new look for your hair. Your hair has a major affect on your confidence level, with one in four women saying their hair is their biggest concern when they’re trying to make an impression, a survey by Sexy Hair found. Nearly eight in 10 women say they don’t feel like themselves when their hair isn’t right, and over four in 10 say having their hair look better would be the top way to boost their confidence. Changing your hair color, length, or style can all be ways to spark your self-confidence. Other top ways to look more confident include buying a new outfit, getting a manicure, or wearing new shoes.

2. Practice Positive Self-talk

Changing the way you look can give your confidence a boost, but changing how you feel inside can have a deeper effect. One key to your confidence level is what you say to yourself subconsciously. If you’re constantly talking yourself down in your head or voicing anxieties, you’re going to feel less confident. On the other hand, telling yourself positive messages on a regular basis can reinforce your confidence. DRIVEN Professionals founder Deborah Goldstein recommends defusing negative self-talk by getting in the habit of saying positive affirmations when you look in a mirror. For instance, when you look in a mirror in the morning, you might make a positive statement about what diet and exercise goals you will achieve that day. Saying your affirmation aloud helps reinforce it, Goldstein says.

3. Learn Sales

Another way to boost your confidence is to improve your powers of persuasion by learning sales. Sales training involves learning how to achieve a goal of persuading someone else to buy something from you. Successfully achieving any goal builds confidence, and persuading someone else to share your goal is a double confidence boost, so sales can be a great confidence builder. A key to sales confidence is solid preparation. The better you know the sales process, and the better you practice your sales scripts, the more prepared you’ll be and the more confident you’ll feel. Experience also builds sales confidence. You can gain sales know-how as well as experience by getting involved with a direct sales organization such as Amway, which provides you with sales training backed by proven marketing tactics that increase your odds of sales success.

4. Practice Public Speaking

Another great way to build confidence is public speaking. Public speaking builds confidence by forcing you to confront a natural fear most people feel when speaking to crowds of strangers. Like giving a sales presentation, it requires preparation to deliver a speech with confidence. Rehearsal practice coupled with experience makes perfect. You can gain public speaking practice by signing up with an organization such as Toastmasters, which provides tips and training as well as helping arrange speaking opportunities for you.

Self-confidence can be a challenge when your dating over 50, but taking steps to build you confidence can help you feel more optimistic. Giving yourself a makeover can help you feel more confident on the outside, while practicing positive self-talk can help you feel more confident inside. Sales training and public speaking can help you feel more confident about interacting with others. Together these strategies can translate into improved confidence that carries over into your dating life and your life in general.