Tina Fey
Ever met a woman who exudes confidence? You immediately notice her when she walks into a room because of her strong presence.
Confidence is not about being loud or abrasive. It’s about knowing what you want and navigating life with this attitude, instead of following what people tell you to.
So how does one grow in confidence?
Today, we’ll delve into 5 signs that genuinely self-confident women have according to psychology. Moreover, these signs are not always obvious.
1) She’s assertive
Confident women know what they want.
They know what they like and dislike and aren’t afraid to draw boundaries. They will voice their concerns or preferences because they believe that their mental well-being is important.
Most women are people pleasers and fall into this bad habit because they choose to ignore their boundaries and appease the people they’re with – to avoid confrontation or feelings of discomfort.
They’d rather lay low than rock the boat.
If they disagree on something, they’d rather go along with the flow instead of pushing back. This is because they don’t wish to draw attention to themselves.
However, confident women know their worth. If someone insults them, they call them out. If someone tells them to do something they don’t want to, they will say no. If someone has a different opinion, these women are unafraid to speak their minds.
If you’re someone who wishes to grow in confidence, assertiveness is a skill that’s worth practicing. This is a lot different from being stubborn and brash.
Assertiveness is standing your ground in a reasonable manner.
2) She’s independent
Women who have strong self-confidence aren’t afraid to be alone. In fact, some of them may actually prefer this.
They’re independent in their thinking, and their way of life and are self-starters. They don’t need someone to push them to work hard or to have someone next to them to feel worthy.
They take themselves out on solo dates and are disciplined in achieving their goals. This is because they don’t require another individual to validate their decisions or to feel complete.
These women also make their own decisions, which are often done quite swiftly as well, instead of ruminating over an issue for a prolonged amount of time.
They’re motivated to get things done and will do it regardless if there are people around them or not.
3) She prioritizes herself
Confident women prioritize themselves because they know how much they’re worth. They have a strong sense of self-worth and will not settle for anything less than what they know they deserve.
According to psychology, maintaining high self-esteem is challenging when one is constantly forgoing their needs to please others instead.
Therefore, when a confident woman discovers that there’s something or someone in their lives that does not serve them anymore, they’re unafraid to let these things go.
They may be in a draining relationship where their partner refuses to listen to her needs, or is constantly prioritizing other things.
She may even be working at a job that has caused her mental health to deteriorate, or take up time that she could have been spending with the people closest to her.
Prioritizing herself also extends to being able to take care and love herself.
Self-confident women know how to put their physical and mental well-being first by ensuring they get sufficient exercise and proper nutrition to fuel their bodies to take on the rest of the week.
She will also be willing to go to therapy or practice mindfulness to ensure that her mental well-being is taken care of.
By putting herself first, a self-confident woman is able to face any challenge because she’s usually rejuvenated, inspired, and full of energy.
4) She’s not afraid to be vulnerable
Vulnerability is a place that not everyone wants to be in.
They’re afraid to open up and let people in. Instead, they put up walls around them so as to deter people from getting closer to them as they’re worried about what their friends may find out.
But self-confident women are willing to tear down their walls and share openly with others, be it their struggles, thoughts, or challenges they’re going through.
This may deter people from opening up as they’re afraid of what other people may think about them.
If one shares their problems, the other person may perceive that they’re weak and incapable of helping themselves through tough periods.
But confident women couldn’t care less about what others think of her. However, they’ll also exercise prudence in trusting people. Rather than share openly with anyone they meet on the street, they’re mindful to surround themselves with people they trust instead.
5) She knows what she wants
One of the most important signs of a self-confident woman is that she knows what she wants.
She’s determined, ambitious and a self-starter. She plans out the goals she wants to achieve and sets a plan to attain them.
Rather than wait for the approval of others, she will motivate herself to work towards these goals. Even if it means putting herself in a new and uncomfortable situation, she knows that it’s all part of the growth process.
If she fails, she uses this as a learning experience and from there, grows in her confidence as she moves forward. And she will rid her life of things that can pose as a hurdle or a setback in her path towards what she wants.
Most of us live life not really knowing what we want, and that’s okay. It’s about constantly exploring, growing and learning about the world, as well as ourselves, to understand what is the right fit for our lives.
The trick is to maintain an open mind and have a habit of discipline at getting things done.
Concluding thoughts
An article summarised self-confidence as this – having unshakeable self-love. With self-love, we’re more inclined to prioritize ourselves, instead of giving in to the wishes of others.
It would be a life of more healthy boundaries, supportive relationships, self-compassion and self-care. However these are much easier said than done.
Growing in confidence is not easy, but it will pose long-term benefits for your mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
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