10 Ways to Embrace Confidence as an Introvert

If anyone were to look up the definition of an introvert on Google, Merriam-Webster, in a dictionary, or WebMD they would all say that an introvert is someone who is shy, reticent, quiet, and reserved. Although some of these qualities may be true, I believe that introverts are far from this stereotypical list. Too often, the universe has categorized introverts to be the underdogs to extroverted individuals. This has caused introverts to feel as if they’re insignificant creating the stereotypical spiral of what others know introverts to be.

To me, introverts are shy yet observant, reticent to be cautious, quiet to actively listen, and reserved to remain poised. I believe that introverts are classy and hold so much more power that goes beyond what we understand about introverts.

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Growing up as an introvert, I hated large crowds, public speaking, or even just opening the classroom door to find all eyeballs on me. I HATED being the center of attention. BUT what I despised the most were the beliefs of other individuals who saw me not for who or what I was but judged me based on my looks. Not only was I an introvert, but I was also Asian which brought a whole of another stereotypical list in itself such as quiet, reserved, polite etc. With my looks and my introverted character others treated me differently. For so many years, I tried my best to defy the asian introverted stereotype. However, it just never worked. 

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Sometimes I thought “maybe it’s just me” or “ am I doing something wrong”? It took some time for me to realize that I, in fact, was doing something wrong. I wasn’t being ME. I cared too much about what others said and how others thought about me. I cared so much that instead of improving on myself and my skills, I was constantly thinking of others' rapport about me. 

Needless to say, I learned to just own it. Own who I was, what I looked like, and owned my actions. I didn’t have to kiss ass to others who I didn’t want to be friends with. I didn’t have to try to fit in. I was just me and that in itself was liberating. 

I was never the popular kid and I never wore the latest fashion trends (because I never matched it). I did what I was best at. Me being me. I played tennis when others chose cheer or softball, I chose family when others chose nightly hangouts with friends, I chose sweatshirts, jackets, and ponytails with jeans when others chose leggings/yoga pants/maxi skirts with a tight fitted shirt. 

I chose to be me and I didn’t care what others thought. In the end, this all paid off because I, an introvert, unpopular kid, who didn’t fit in with the trends was chosen to be the student body president of my highschool. I don’t like bragging about my accomplishments but I mention all of this to share with you that introverts are amazing and can do AMAZING things!

In this post, I share with you 10 ways to embrace confidence as an introvert. These methods are tried and true by yours truly and I’m so happy to share them with you!

Learn About Yourself and Look at Your Strengths as an Introvert

Ignore the stereotypes, self-doubt, I’m worthless, there’s nothing special about me, thoughts that cross your mind. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has their own power and meaning in this universe. Everyone is special, it just takes time to see what makes you shine. Don’t follow the trends or try to fit in so you appear extroverted. Instead, consider what makes you different and why it makes you different. Most introverts are kind, creative, whimsical, resilient, and hard workers. They’re great friends, companions, and leaders!

Find what makes you shine and thrive and slowly share them with your companions and eventually the world!

Find Your Passion and Own It

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What does passion have to do with confidence? Boost it of course! Whether you have a passion for reading (if so, let’s be friends), knitting, crocheting, drawing, playing a sport, etc. all of this can help boost your confidence. When you’re passionate about something, you exude positive energy that can be felt both within you and with others whom you share your passions with. It brings vitality to you and can help bring you the confidence you may lack when speaking with other individuals or in front of a crowd.

Believe in Yourself and Your Ideas

Before I say anything further, I would like to get one message across and that is: “if you don’t believe in yourself, then who will?” It is super important to believe in yourself and in your capabilities. Even if you’re still trying to perfect a new skill, believe in yourself! You don’t have to be perfect. Remember, everyone is still learning. By believing in yourself, even if it may be a little delusional,  it’ll help you boost and sharpen your confidence so that you can share your ideas with others.

Dress in a Way that Reflects Your Best Self

I know at the beginning of this post, I said that I was the type of girl who wore sweatshirts/jackets with jeans in a high ponytail. However, I was also the type of girl who wore dresses with cardigans whenever I felt like dressing up. I also wore leggings, boots, long shirts and scarves when I wanted to feel cute but reserved. What I’m trying to say is, dress for how you want to feel. I’m not sure why, but I can definitely attest that my personality changes when I’m wearing everyday wear versus a professional/classy get up. I just feel all the boss babe vibes.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

As introverts, we tend to compare ourselves to others in almost EVERY single category. From beauty, style, apparel, character, attitude etc. Introverts are PROFESSIONALS when it comes to comparing ourselves to others. But here’s one POWERFUL word to tell yourself when you do this. STOP. Just STOP it. Similar to what I said at the beginning, everyone is unique and has their own strength and meaning in this world. When you compare yourself to others you’re limiting yourself from reaching your highest self and reaching your best potential as you’re wasting time on thinking and comparing yourself to everyone around you. Just be in the moment with yourself and take the time to appreciate the beauty around you and where you are in life.

Give Yourself PST! (Positive Self Talk)

Psssttt! Did you hear that? 

Yes, you heard that right! You are AWESOME! As introverts, we tend to overthink a lot which can cause us to spiral into a rabbit hole of self doubt, cause us to be anxious, and it’s just not a good feeling. If you find yourself going down this rabbit hole, recognize it, breathe, and have this time to give yourself a positive self talk (PST). Not only will this help you get out of that rabbit hole but you’ll find yourself to have more confidence in your choices and actions. Even more, you’ll find to love yourself and appreciate your self-worth even more. Like babies and flowers, we need to shower ourselves with love, affection, and care.

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Find Like-Minded Individuals

As introverts, we sometimes feel like we’re alone in the world because either we fear no one will understand us, think our hobbies are strange, or we fear talking with others and are afraid to take the leap. However, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. In fact, if you’re feeling like this, what’s to say how other introverted individuals feel like? It’s super important to be heard no matter how big or little the win was, your voice matters. Your hobbies matter, the events in your day matter, and even your pet matters! Everything matters and once you find individuals whom you can share these thoughts with your confidence will sky rocket knowing that there’s others doing the same thing and that you can spark joy in others

Acknowledge Your Lack of Confidence

The first thing to accept is to accept yourself as an introvert. Too often, some individuals (like myself) try to hide our introvertedness and do our BEST to be extroverted. But when this happens, it just comes off as awkward. Instead, just own it. Acknowledge who you are, find like-minded individuals, and work towards living your best life and becoming the best version of you. Overtime, your confidence will grow and like most things in life, it’s important that it grows organically so that you don’t feel forced to act like someone you’re not.

Practice Clear and Effective Communication

As an introvert myself, I understand the fear of public speaking. Whether it be in front of a crowd of thousands, 5 people, or just 1 person it can be kinda scary. Not only that, but we also tend to think about SO many other things in the moment like: “how do I sound, how do i look, am i boring?” Too often we think about all these things and fail to do what makes us stand out and that is using clear and effective communication. Whatever you’re thinking about, I assure you that most of the time no one cares. They just want to see and hear you and your brilliant ideas! So the next time you’re speaking in front of a big or small crowd, remind yourself to breathe, and slow down when you’re talking so that your message gets across with confidence and grace.

Being an introvert is classy and there’s nothing wrong about it or about us. The only thing wrong is how others see us or portray us to be without choosing to see the bigger picture. By practicing these skills over my lifetime, I can say that I’m a proud and confident introvert at heart. I’m an introverted boss babe and love every single moment of my life from the quiet times with my books, large family gatherings, and hosting friends in my home. I’m a believer that introverts are AWESOME! 

To all my introverted wildflowers out there, here’s my message to you: Just own it. Own yourself, your actions, your choices, and your journey in life and be confident when you do so because you’re smarter than what you and others believe you to be.

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