In this BIT: Why should I be confident in myself? Explore how to be yourself – including confidence tips, and advice for liking yourself.
It’s common to be told that we should be ourselves. What does that really mean and how does this actually make us happier?
Being ourselves is correlated with liking ourselves, and like we would to any good friend, forgiving ourselves when we make mistakes. This doesn’t mean we can’t learn and grow as a person. However, it does mean we may try to be a better version of ourselves, not aim to be a different person entirely. When we like ourselves, we are able to forgive ourselves, and our sense of identity remains strong as we are not detrimentally hard on ourselves. When we make a mistake, or do something embarrassing it is easier to forgive ourselves, and let go of that event. If you’re pretending to be a different version of you, acting like someone who you aren’t, this may be a sign that you are unhappy with yourself.
A study at Tel Aviv University found that even just remembering an authentic moment can bring you more happiness. In this experiment, participants were assigned to one of two groups. One group were instructed to think about a moment where they were authentic to themselves. The other group was instructed to think about a moment where they were inauthentic. After doing this, the participants were asked about how happy they felt. The group that remembered being authentic was significantly happier.
Here are a few other benefits of being yourself:
– You will attract the right friends who will like you for who you truly are.
– People will trust you more because they will understand the real you, creating a stronger connection and deepening relationships.
– You will feel more confident. When you are living in your true self, endorphins are released, which allow you to feel happier and more confident. This is key to liking yourself more!
– You will sleep better. When living your true self, you feel happier. This happiness decreases stress levels and allows for better sleep.
Happiness is very much connected with us simply being ourselves. Being authentic is the best way to accept yourself, not be hard on yourself, and find people who like and respect you for being you.
We hope that this BIT inspires you to be yourself and accept yourself as you are, bringing you advice on how to accept yourself, and a small bit of happiness.
For more happiness check out our Mood Boost page.
Featuring quick videos created for teens by teens.
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