"Acting" seems to be quite underestimated as a way to help improve the self. You can choose to use "acting" in order to be more confident. At first, it may feel that you are just pretending to be confident. But actually, there is a shift in belief already when you pursue to "act as if" in order to "be".

How can a person do this? It all begins by putting on the appropriate mindset. So you want to be confident, right? What is the mindset of a confident person, well for you? Imagine the confident person. Visualize how he or she presents himself or herself. What thoughts does he or she think of? What feelings does he or she feel?

Visualization and guided imagery are ways to help you achieve behavioral change. In this case, you want to behave in a more confident manner. To help you motivate yourself, follow the following steps.

• Inhale and exhale. Prepare yourself for a certain degree of anxiety. Visualize yourself remaining as unconfident as you are now. Imagine the negative consequences of such lack of confidence. Imagine yourself always nervous and anxious. If you have now become anxious, then it is time to gently relax yourself and bring yourself to calm down.
• Inhale and exhale, and prepare yourself again for a certain degree of anxiety. Visualize yourself in the future. Maybe, you have not gotten the job you wanted. Maybe you lock yourself in your room afraid of other people. Because of your lack of confidence, you did not achieve the life you wanted. When you reached a certain degree of anxiety, then gently calm yourself and relax.
• Inhale and exhale again. Now, imagine yourself as a confident person. See yourself able to do your tasks well and with ease. You associate with people with a calm and serene confidence.

Now, in the situations that call for confidence, you will be more able to put on the mind of a confident person. Think of it like you are playing a role or character in a role play. If you know someone who is confident, then maybe you can adapt his or her behavior—and how he or she presents himself or herself. Putting on the perspective of a confident person is already a good step. Then you can proceed to act the way you would act if you believed yourself to be confident. That is the essence of this technique. It is a matter of attitude.