9 habits that reveal a deep sense of self-worth and confidence

Self-confidence is one of those interesting personality traits where if you have it, you know it.

But of course, people can’t actually read minds, and so if we’re trying to figure out whether someone else has a deep sense of self-worth and confidence, our only option is to look at their actions.

This is true whether we’re evaluating a potential partner or deciding whether to hire someone for our company. The signs of self-worth and confidence are always the same.

Let’s take a look at them.

1) Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance is probably the most important trait of all. That’s why we’ve put it first.

The idea here is that we need to be able to accept ourselves for who we are if we want to be content and confident in ourselves. This means different things to different people.

For example, to some people, that might mean accepting their sexuality, while to others, it may mean admitting they don’t want to follow their parents into the family business.

Whatever self-acceptance looks like to you, you need to make it a priority to learn to accept yourself for the person you are. Because if you can’t accept yourself, how will anyone else accept you?

2) Boundary setting

Setting boundaries is important because they show people what behavior you’re willing to accept.

I find that it’s particularly important for relationships, because without boundaries, you can end up in a relationship where you’re not valued by the other person. You also need to set these boundaries so that you can call people out if they ignore them.

If you’re able and willing to set boundaries with the people who surround you in life, you’ll simultaneously be showing that you value and respect yourself. You’re effectively saying, “Hey, I matter.”

3) Personal growth

Personal growth is one of those things that we all know we need to make time for and yet few of us actually do.

The interesting thing about people who display a deep sense of self-worth and confidence is that they usually experience personal growth without seeking it. They just naturally put themselves in positions where they’re likely to thrive.

For example, they’re more likely than others to step up and volunteer to be a leader when no one else is willing.

They’re also more likely to try new things, such as by taking a yoga class or sampling a dish from a foreign cuisine.

4) Exercise

I’ll be honest, this is something that I’ve only recently started doing myself, but I’ve come to love it.

People with their fair share of self-worth and confidence understand that their body is a machine that they need to take care of. In the same way that we put our cars through MOTs, we need to put our bodies through exercise.

Exercise has huge benefits for our physical and mental health, and it can help us to stay sharp and at the top of our game. It can also make us more confident in our bodies.

Put it this way – there are a ton of benefits, and the only drawback is that it’s hard work.

5) Goal setting

We all need goals to work towards. Otherwise we’re just stumbling aimlessly through life.

When I can, I like to set SMART goals – that is, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. That makes it much more likely that you’re going to actually achieve them.

People who have a strong sense of self-worth and confidence tend to automatically set goals, and indeed it’s accomplishing those goals that got them where they are today.

Give it a try sometime. You’ll soon learn that nothing builds confidence like achieving a goal that you’ve been working towards.

6) Healthy sleep

I’m a die-hard night owl and an insomniac, so I’m not the best person to talk about this one.

But the idea is that people with a deep sense of self-worth and confidence are more likely to sleep well because they’re happy and content with their lives. They’re also not being kept up at night by negative self-talk and thoughts that they’re not good enough.

Healthy sleep is also one of those things that you can work towards by practicing mindfulness techniques, meditating before bed and taking some time away from your screen before you turn in for the night.

7) Assertiveness

Assertiveness is all about making yourself heard and standing your ground.

Part of being assertive comes down to setting and maintaining those boundaries that we talked about earlier. You also need to speak up and be assertive if you see someone behaving badly or doing something that goes against your morals.

For example, assertiveness might mean calling someone out for their sexist remarks and telling them that you won’t tolerate it. It might also mean telling someone that you can’t make their meeting because you have a prior engagement that you’re unwilling to cancel.

8) Calculated risks

The idea behind taking calculated risks is that we measure up the risk vs. the potential reward.

In other words, there’s no point just taking risks for the sake of it. Instead, you need to look at the risk in question and figure out whether you think it’s worth taking.

For example, you might decide that it’s worth playing the lottery because it’s low risk and high reward. If you don’t win, you’ll have wasted a few bucks, while if you do win, you’ll become a millionaire.

People who take calculated risks tend to also have a sense of self-worth and self-confidence, because it takes confidence to take those risks, even when you know that the potential rewards make it worthwhile.

9) Good hygiene

The reasoning behind this one should be pretty obvious.

If you have a deep sense of self-worth and confidence, you’re going to want to put your best foot forward. This means you’ll take pride in your appearance and actively enjoy taking care of it.

These days, if you take care of your appearance, you’ll be accused of being self-centered. This usually isn’t the case.

Ultimately, when we practice good hygiene and make sure that we look good, we’re doing it for ourselves and no one else.

We’re doing it because we have a deep sense of self-worth and confidence.

Conclusion

Now that you know which habits reveal a deep sense of self-worth and confidence, you’re better placed to start spotting them in other people.

You can also work on developing them yourself if you want to pick up more of these habits and to start experiencing more self-worth and self-confidence.

Take them one at a time and work on them until they become second nature. You’ll be a stronger, more well-rounded person in no time. Good luck.