The Key to Building Confidence in 5 Short, Weird Hacks

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem a little deflated lately. Maybe your new workout split isn’t splitting the way you want it to, or your mind just seems to wander whenever you try to complete the smallest of tasks. Perhaps your hair falls just out of place, where it doesn’t look bad but feels oh so uncomfortable. Maybe you’re not on the right path in life, or at least not where you think you should be. And when your confidence takes a hit, it can be difficult to climb out of that pit.

But the thing people get wrong about confidence is that it’s built on the big things. You don’t need long-winded world travels, lofty risks, or physical transformations. It’s really built on the things we tend to neglect. 

The way you walk when you listen to music, the way you listen and talk when a friend has something important to say, where your mindset shifts when faced with aversion. These are the actions that build the foundation of your confidence, and it’s also where most people fall short.

It’s is all about discovering who you are and how you best navigate the world around you. And while there are hundreds of different ways to become more confident in yourself, I’m going to share with my 5 confidence boosters that you can implement ASAP. I hope that these small but mighty (and maybe a little odd) hacks will inch you towards the person you want to become!

1. Learn How to Properly Type

Typing may seem like a minor skill, but knowing how to type well can be a game changer for your confidence.

For years I was a single-finger keyboard warrior, and it worked out just fine! But as I got older, I got sick of looking like a 3 or 81-year-old technological novice. In school and work, my typing skills were abysmal. I was slow, inexperienced, and quite frankly, it was a drag to even open Google Docs.

So I started off playing typing games online and getting used to anchoring my hands on the home row of my computer. With some practice, not only did my typing speed go through the roof, but I felt like such a professional whenever I wrote essays or did schoolwork on my computer.

In time, my general typing stature got better. My back straightened, hands relaxed, and I got the feeling of locking in while also looking the part. People still compliment me on my fast typing and accuracy whenever we do schoolwork together.

A small tip, but so so effective! If you’re just getting started typing correctly, here’s some games you can try out.

• Z Type – Type whole words to destroy enemy ships! This site is great for improving typing speed with accuracy

• Typing Club – Great for beginners looking for short, structured typing lessons

• The Chef’s Shift – A fast-paced kitchen simulator experience designed to test your typing and cooking speed all at once

If none of these pique your interest, this guy played 40 hours of typing games and curated a whole list of recommendations.

2. Get To Making That Moodboard

Moodboards are tangible, visual representations of what we desire most for ourselves, and they work wonders!

For the past two years, I’ve made 3 moodboards that I rotated through my computer lockscreen. Not only do they look pretty, but they reflect my innermost thoughts and goals. In time, I started noticing that the images/visuals I put in my boards began to reflect in my real life. I’ll put some examples below for inspo

Here’s how you can start a moodboard in 5 minutes:

1. Write down 2-3 of your top goals
   1. I.e. finishing 15 books in a year, completing your thesis, learning to sing
2. Visit Canva on your device
3. Select “Create” and then “Custom Size”
4. Find out the correct aspect ratio of the device you want to create a moodboard for, and enter the dimensions in your Canva project
5. Create a new Canva project with the dimensions for your device
6. Navigate the internet/Pinterest for visual representations of your goals
   1. If your goal is to save up for your first apartment, you could look for apartment aesthetic inspo or quotes about financials and savings
7. Once you’ve accumulated all of your visuals, organize them into the Canva doc however you see fit. Get creative, it’s supposed to be fun and freeing!
8. Download and post wherever you want 🙂

3. Truly Invest In Your Smell

This is for my fellow stinky people out there. The memory of my mother pulling my 12-year-old self aside before heading out to school, earnestly gazing into my eyes, and saying “Allyson, I can smell you from here,” is burnt into my mind…

Your scent is how you show off your hygienic habits. Now, I’ve come to terms with being a stinky woman, and I’m even a dancer and gym rat on top of that. That’s why I need to find the right things to keep that smell at bay.

Let’s start with your shower routine. Whether you’re a morning, night, or even afternoon person doesn’t matter, it’s what you prioritize in this time. I’d recommend doubling down on your cleansing. The first round helps strip the external grime from your skin, while the second wash rinses any of the remnants left behind.

Since this in-depth washing routine can strip your skin of its natural oils, make sure to follow up after your shower with a good lotion. My mom put me on to the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

Then we’ll move in with a good deodorant. Not an ad, but I’ve found that Carpe deodorant is the best fit for me. I’m a dancer who also walks in the Arizona heat for at least 30 minutes every day to get to my classes, so I need that heavy-duty antiperspirant protection.

Now I know those good-smelling products like nice colognes and deodorants aren’t always the most budget friendly, but that’s why I say INVEST! But if all you can do is buy an inexpensive scent from Walmart or Target, I’d say try it at least once and experiment. When you truly love the way a scent sits on your skin, it changes how you move through the world.

You’ll find yourself squeezing your armpits to your sides less often, embracing others more openly, and stressing less about whether or not you need to beeline to the nearest shower.

TLDR; The Mean, Clean, 3-Step Hygiene Routine

1. Double cleanse your body with a washcloth in the shower, then apply lotion immediately afterwards (scented or unscented)
2. Apply a quality deodorant (I’m a strong advocate for Carpe)
3. Finish with a spritz of your fav cologne/perfume. The cherry on top!

4. Avoid saying “never” or “always”

Two words, infinite power. If you hold yourself to absolutes, you choke out any potential growth before it has the chance to bloom. 

“I’ll never be able to sing in front of a crowd.”

“I always mess up that dish, I’ll never be able to make it for my friends.”

“I’ll never be able to move away from home.”

Sound familiar? It’s a trap that we fall in far too often. It’s easier to say you can’t do something than to try, so in a way I see the appeal. But this is no way to live.

Here’s what you can say instead:

Become best friends with the word “but.”

• I tend to get nervous when I sing in front of people, but I know that I will start to feel more confident with practice
• This dish doesn’t usually turn out the way I want it to, but I’m going to look up some tutorials that can help me with the prep
• I may not be in the state to move out quite yet, but I can put together a timeline based on my finances and set goals to get to that point

A period does not mark the end of a story, or even the end of a chapter. Limiting yourself with absolutes doesn’t create achievement, it creates excuses. Use the word “but” instead to bridge the gap between your true feelings and what you hope to achieve.

5. Don’t view any media for at least an hour after waking

And no, not even your email! Shut. It. Off.

A major reason why many people don’t feel confident in their everyday lives is because their mind feels scattered. Instead of examining our internal state and emotions before being thrust into the day, we let external stimuli guide the way for us. Whether it’s music, movies, instagram, or a podcast, too much media too early in the morning can overload your mind before it’s even fully awake. We all want to be entertained, I get it, but this only makes way for mental fatigue and early burnout.

Instead, fill your morning time with low-effort, low-stakes activities that help ease your body and mind into the day. Here’s a few ideas:

1. Simply walk out of your bedroom without a device in hand. That’s it. Everything else can fall into place after.
2. Set a timer for 5 minutes and stroll outside, even if it’s just around a corner
3. Choose a morning bev to keep waking up exciting— I make either hot mint tea or iced coffee!
4. Keep a glass of water next to your bed and CHUG it as soon as you wake up
5. Open your blinds the night before to wake up in a room full of sunshine (personal fav)
6. Say 2 things you want to achieve during the day out loud and then write it on paper— speaking goals aloud basically commands them to happen

I’ve been doing this for over 2 months now, and as someone with severe scatterbrain, I can confidently say that I’m moving differently. Waking up no longer feels like a chore, and complex tasks feel much more manageable. I’m still not a morning person, but I still embrace taking the start of the day gently.

And lastly, take things day by day

One of the best things to know about confidence is that it will never be consistent. You can’t expect yourself to do every task, check every box, and feel 100% capable every day.

All that matters is that you show up. That you’re here and at least trying to get better at the things that are important to you. And that’s a lot more than most people can say.

If you tried any of these tips or want to share a few of your own hacks, feel free to leave a comment! Have a lovely day <3