It can be  intimidating starting Confidence building activities. This is why we’re running a series on this site to show you some confidence building activities you can easily do from your own comfort zone. We will go tackle them one by one to give you a chance to provide some feed-back, and of course to air your concerns/views. Let’s kick off this confidence building activities series by talking about your smile. 

Smiling not only improves your mood. It also influences the way others see you.  We’ve already discussed that the way you think has a lot to do with your confidence. But not only that, the way other people see you also influences the way you see yourself. This is why smiling is important. A smile can get you what you want even if the person doing the giving was in a bad mood to begin with. Smiles are contagious. If you approach the counter at an office, the reception at a busy hotel desk, or a fellow shopper who’s tall enough to get the box of cereal down from the top shelf; remember you’re not the only one who’s nervous. The person at the other end of the desk interviewing you is most likely a bit shaky as well. Break a smile and show people you’re there to be nice – you’re not the enemy. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, do it and the rest will follow. People who’re confident don’t hide their faces. They stand straight, look up, and smile!

Confidence building activities – part 1

Here are some big tips for smiling:

• Allow your smile to reach your eyes. This is most appealing to others, and definitely more genuine. If any smile will get you the desired response, this one will. People trust open people. Trust from others is great for your self-confidence.

• Make eye contact when you smile. Look at the person and let them know you’re smiling at them, not just randomly smiling at something you remembered inside your head. Make that human to human contact. Making someone else smile is a pleasant way to build self-confidence.

• Not all of us have perfect teeth and many people don’t feel confident enough to smile if they have bad gnashers. Smiling stimulates the part of our brain that recognises pleasant and fun things, so it’s actually good for us emotionally because ‘good vibes’ makes you feel better about yourself. If you can’t afford to get your teeth fixed, you can practise smiling with just your lips and eyes. It may take many tries in front of a mirror, and you may feel foolish to begin with, but the benefits far outweigh a bit of discomfort.

• Make sure your lips are well taken care of. Smiling brightly with chapped lips may direct attention to them instead of your smile. Use a good chap stick or even Vaseline to get rid of extra dry skin on, and around the lips. For dry lips I use Vaseline at night, then brush my lips in the morning when I brush my teeth. Works perfectly!

• Take care of your teeth by brushing them at least twice a day. Floss and clean your tongue too. A nice, fresh, clean mouth can make us more confident to smile. If you’re having any whitening done, a professional one is better than home remedies. If you are whitening at home, make sure you ask advice and/or purchase the kit from your dentist. Online whiteners can be dangerous (unless they’re recommended by your dental practitioner, of course). Have a check-up at least once a year and ask your dentist for a clean. In the UK, the cost for a clean is added to the amount you pay to see your dentist anyway. Don’t lose out by not asking for one. When certain things in life don’t come readily to you don’t be afraid to use aides to make the journey easier. See our page of confidence-building aides to see what is best suited to you.

Conclusion: Confidence building activities part 1

Remember to smile and make things easier on yourself and others. You’re always going to be restricted by what is humanly possible (fortunately, so are the people you fear). None of us can resist a smiling face!  This confidence building activity is a relatively easy one. It builds you up by influencing the way others view you. But not only this, it makes you feel good too. It’s a win – win situation all the way. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: you can’t show nervousness while smiling, neither can you show uncertainty! This is why smiling is such a great tool in building your confidence. It obscures your lack of confidence (and other negative feelings) from other people. Thus it leaves you free to show only what you want them to see – a more positive you.

Here’s to a more positive you. You may also want to read Body Confidence in Easy Steps. Please share this article on any of the social networkings sites below and leave your comments or questions in the comment boxes below. As always, thanks for your visit and for getting involved in our fight against lack of confidence.