It can be hard to enjoy life when you don't like yourself - people who struggle to accept themselves, are much more likely to have difficulty accepting and getting along with others. Over the last few years I've tried to come to a place where I'm 100% happy being myself. Of course I have days where I struggle to practice what I preach, or I feel low, but ultimately life is too short not to be yourself, not to be proud of the person you are and to be someone you're not for the sake of pleasing others.

Accepting yourself and embracing your flaws is so important in building your self-esteem. Women in particular have a negative tendency to point out their own flaws to others - either apologising for ourselves or in a bid to seek validation and reassurance. When in reality, the flaws you see so clearly when you look in the mirror are things that only you see. Stop apologising to others for who you are, stop highlighting your flaws and learn to accept who you are from the inside out.

I recently read that the average person has around 65,000 thoughts every day - with many of those being negative. Actioning a positive state of mind will undoubtedly lead to positive outcomes - so try to adjust your mind to one that sits on the can-do side of any situation. Avoiding any negative self talk and surrounding yourself with positive, happy people will help you feel so much better about the life you have.

Whilst being confident being yourself involves accepting your personality, it doesn't mean that we can't be adaptable. How I act at a business meeting, compared to how I act at home may be completely different - but that's because I recognise that different social situations require a slightly different version of myself. It's not that I'm not being true to myself - but I'm simply adapting myself to a form that's most appropriate for the social situation I'm in.

Even when things seem to be going right in our lives, it's still easy to find something to complain about. Complaining is something that is easy for us all to do, whereas being grateful isn't something as human's we're particularly hard wired to do. With that said, being grateful for what you have is an amazing way to recognise the good in your life, and the good in yourself. At the end of each day, before I drift into a slumber I like to think of at least one thing I'm grateful for that day - whether it's something I did, or something someone did for me - it's a great way to build confidence and happiness.

What are your tips for being confident in yourself?