What’s Stopping You From Being Confident in Public?

How do you feel when you’re out in public? Do you walk with confidence and hold your head high? Or do you make yourself as small as possible and hope that people don’t really notice you? As it turns out, a lot of people don’t feel very confident when they’re out and about. But why is that?

Negative Messages

We’re constantly bombarded with messages about what we need in order to become more desirable as women. While some things may have merit, the underlying message that far too many women take in is that they are in some way deficient as they are. Constantly receiving the message that you aren’t good enough as you are can make it pretty tough to feel confident when you go out. A change of focus and priority may be necessary in order to counteract such negative messages and regain your confidence.

Health Challenges

It’s pretty tough to feel confident when you aren’t in good health, and especially when your health challenges have an impact on your appearance. Anything from your weight to the condition of your skin can have a significant impact on how you feel when you’re out in public. By way of example, atopic dermatitis can impact both your physical and mental health. Because it’s visually apparent, it’s something that can leave those who suffer from it feeling like others are staring and thinking poorly of them, even if that’s not actually the case.

Overthinking Things

Women are stereotypically pros at overthinking things. That doesn’t do us any favors when it comes to being confident in public. A look from a stranger that lingers a bit longer than normal can be the perfect trigger for thoughts ranging from wondering if you put your shirt on inside out to whether or not you need to worry about someone creeping on you. In most instances, people don’t really give much attention to other people. They aren’t judging you, or at least not in any way that really matters. Once you get to the point where you stop overthinking things and care less about what others think, being confident out in public becomes much easier.

A lack of confidence can really cramp your style when you’re out in public. While the reasons behind your lack of confidence may vary, the fact remains that building your confidence to healthy levels is far more likely to benefit you than anything else. Take some time to examine why you feel the way you do when you’re out in public and come up with strategies to help you overcome that lack of confidence.

Read this next: How to Increase Positive Self-Esteem With Everything You Do