How to Improve Confidence, Boost Self-Esteem, and Overcome Fear of Public Speaking: 30 Proven Tips and Techniques

Do you struggle with low confidence or feel paralyzed by the idea of public speaking? You’re not alone. Many people battle these challenges daily, but here’s the good news: confidence is a skill you can build.

This guide is packed with 30 powerful tips and techniques to help you overcome fear, improve your self-esteem, and present like a pro. From science-backed strategies to real-world examples of people who transformed themselves, there’s something here for everyone.

Key Takeaways

• Confidence is not something you’re born with—it’s something you can practice and grow.

• Simple actions like power posing, visualization, and positive affirmations can make a big difference.

• Real-life examples, like Warren Buffett and Emma Watson, prove that confidence can be learned.

• Tools such as NLP, EFT tapping, and confidence coaching offer deeper solutions to boost confidence over the long term.

Why Confidence Matters

Confidence doesn’t just affect how you feel about yourself—it impacts your relationships, career, and overall happiness. Without it, opportunities slip by, and self-doubt creeps in.

Here’s the good news: confidence is not something you’re stuck with. Research shows that it’s more like a muscle you can strengthen over time with practice and the right techniques.

30 Actionable Tips to Build Confidence and Boost Self-Esteem

1. Start Power Posing

Standing tall with your hands on your hips (Superman/Wonder Woman pose) or arms stretched high and wide (Victory pose like Rocky Balboa) for as little as just two minutes can instantly boost your confidence. Amy Cuddy’s research shows this simple trick lowers stress hormones like cortisol and makes you feel more in control. When will you commit to doing this for just a few minutes?

2. Create a Confidence Playlist

Ever noticed how certain songs make you feel unstoppable? Build a playlist of empowering tracks to get into the right mindset before big moments. What songs might be on your unstoppable playlist?

3. Reframe Negative Thoughts

Challenge those inner voices that say, “I can’t do this.” Replace them with, “I’m capable of handling challenges, one step at a time.” Don't let your judge or other saboteurs control you!

4. Visualize Success

Elite athletes swear by visualization. Picture yourself nailing that presentation or confidently speaking in front of a crowd. Your brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined experiences, so this mental rehearsal can build confidence. How many times will you mentally rehears your next success?

5. Practice Gratitude

Writing down three things you’re grateful for daily can shift your mindset. When you’re focused on the good, self-doubt takes a back seat. Will you begin doing this tonight or tomorrow morning?

6. Try NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

NLP techniques like anchoring help you associate calm, positive emotions with challenging situations like public speaking. Working with an NLP-trained coach can take this to the next level. Wanna chat?

7. Use EFT Tapping

This technique involves tapping specific acupressure points while speaking affirmations or key phrases about that problem like, “Even though I feel nervous, I deeply love and accept myself.” or " that stage fright" or "that anxious feeling" EFT is backed by research showing it reduces anxiety and boosts confidence. Quickly Unlock EFT Mastery in Under One Hour!

8. Apply the 5-Second Rule

Count down: 5-4-3-2-1, and take action before fear talks you out of it. Mel Robbins made this simple trick famous for a reason—it works. Count out loud or in your head, you've got this!

9. Join Toastmasters

If public speaking is your biggest fear, Toastmasters is a safe space to practice and get feedback. Everyone starts as a beginner there. What's the closest one near you that you could attend?

10. Control Your Breathing

Take a deep breath in for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four, and repeat. Alternatively, try breathing in through your nose and then out through your mouth for double the length of time. Deep breathing calms your nervous system and helps you feel grounded. Abdomen/diaphragm breathing is also a great way to calm those nerves and relax yourself. Breathing from the belly rather than the chest, keeping your shoulders level and chest still, as you feel your stomach inflate and deflate like there was a balloon in there.

11. Film Yourself

Record your speeches or practice runs. Watching playback not only helps you improve but also makes you more comfortable seeing yourself as a confident speaker. Pro athletes are constantly reviewing their work to see where they did great and how they could improve.

12. Work With a Confidence Coach

A coach can help you identify and break through mental blocks, offering tailored strategies that work specifically for you. Using a variety of tools, a professional confidence coach will be able to work with you 1-on-1 to create the perfect program for you.

13. Use Affirmations That Resonate

Pick affirmations that feel meaningful, such as, “I am enough just as I am” or “I bring value to the people around me.” Now, affirmations are not for everyone but picking the right ones, saying them at the right time of day, and doing them consistently for at least 21 days can make the process work better.

14. Start Small

If public speaking feels overwhelming, start with a smaller step, like presenting in front of friends or practicing a speech at home, in front of the mirror or better yet, your camera.

15. Learn to Say No

Setting boundaries builds self-respect, which is a key part of self-esteem. There's nothing wrong with politely declining something when you need to. If possible and beneficial to you, you can always offer a more appealing alternative to the request being made of you.

16. Read Inspiring Stories

Famous figures like Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson weren’t always confident. Learning how they overcame insecurities can inspire you to do the same. Reading biographies or listening to audio book versions can allow you to take on the wisdom and life experiences of the person in question. I personally found "Be Useful" by Arnold Schwarzenegger to be especially helpful.

17. Journal About Your Wins

Reflect on moments when you felt proud of yourself, no matter how small they seem. This builds a mental library of success you can revisit. We often, as an old survival trait we're hardwired with, focus more on the negative and what went wrong or could go wrong in a situation and delete or distort the positive aspects. Instead, use this to focus on all of the positive things in life. You may be surprised just how many there actually are.

18. Practice in Front of a Mirror

Practicing speeches in front of a mirror helps you fine-tune your body language and get comfortable seeing yourself as a confident communicator. Not only will you get more familiar with the material, and how you deliver it effectively, you'll also have opportunities to reward yourself for improvements and learn from mistakes. Often, when reading something out loud to yourself you pick up on things that need rewording, so that you can make it flow better and sound more polished when you present it for real.

19. Master the Art of the Pause

Pausing while speaking conveys calm and authority. Plus, it gives you time to collect your thoughts. Far too many people overlook this one, and mistakenly think that they need to keep talking no matter what. The opposite is the truth, a well timed pause can not only give you a break and allow you to remember what to say next, but it can also add dramatic effect. Now I'm not saying you need to do a dramatic............ pause, like Calculon from Futurama, but adding short pauses when appropriate or longer pauses to give people time to think about and absorb what you just said, while you stand there expectantly, can really make you appear more cool, collected, and confident.

20. Embrace Feedback

Constructive criticism helps you grow. Learn to see feedback as a gift instead of a threat. If you're like most people, when someone gives you feedback that isn't all positive it can often feel like an insult. Instead of taking the critique negatively, thank the person and think of what you could do differently next time to incorporate their suggestions. Now, sometimes people really are just trying to insult you with their comments, and in those instances it's also good to remain calm and just shrug it off, keeping your focus on the things that are going to be helpful in moving you forward and not the things that will keep you stuck where you are.

21. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re learning opportunities. This perspective builds resilience and helps you bounce back stronger. Many great things in life would not be here if not for the mistakes that came before them. The amount of inventions that underwent dozens or even hundreds of failed attempts before success, or those famous movie lines that were complete mistakes and everyone loved it so it stayed in the film. Sometimes mistakes can lead to new ways of thinking that you may never have tried if not for making the mistake.

22. Dress for Confidence

What you wear can influence how you feel. Choose outfits that make you feel comfortable and powerful. For some people this may well be an expensive suit and tie, but if that just makes you feel uncomfortable, restrained, and uneasy in yourself, then avoid it. Find something that's more your style and opt for the best looking, highest quality version of that style you can get your hands on. Many famous people, even some CEO's of big corporations, dress down in a more casual style. Now, in some circumstances it may not be possible to just be who you are. In those times, you can always practice feeling more comfortable in a different style of dress and work on the other areas mentioned.

23. Shift the Focus to Your Audience

Instead of worrying about how you look or sound, focus on the value you’re delivering to your audience. If you focus more on delivering valuable content, with passion, and really give them your best, you won't have time to even think about how you look or sound. On top of that, they will love you more for delivering such quality content.

24. Turn Fear Into Excitement

When you feel nervous, tell yourself, “I’m excited.” Studies show this reframing can trick your brain into embracing the moment. More often than not, people actually do mistake excitement as nerves, as they can often feel very similar. So, crank up that excitement, and use it to give you even more energy to deliver your content with incredible enthusiasm.

25. Volunteer to Speak More Often

The more you practice speaking, the easier it becomes. Start small, and say “yes” to opportunities. It doesn't just have to be full on public speaking engagements. Talking to a friend or family member more and practicing your delivery and keeping them fully engaged in what you're discussing. Heck, practice talking to your dog if you need to. We all know they love you no matter what. Avoid the cat though, they tend to be super judgemental and bore easily.

26. Meditate Daily

Mindfulness meditation helps calm your mind and makes you more present during high-pressure moments. Now, you may have time for a full on meditation routine, but if like many of us you have a very busy schedule, you can opt for simpler practices. We all have at least 10 seconds spare here and there. So, the next time you do anything, and I mean absolutely anything at all, just take 10 seconds and intently focus on only that thing, to the exclusion of everything else. Notice what you see, hear, feel. This could be as simple as the feeling of your toothbrush bristles rubbing against your gums, noticing the temperature or texture of the food you're chewing, the feel of the wind on your face. Just 10 seconds, a few times per day, can positively impact how you feel and think. Especially if you do this multiple times with different things, such as during your morning routine.

27. Smile More Often

Smiling naturally boosts endorphins and makes you appear more confident and approachable. Do your best to create a genuine smile, the kind where your eyes crinkle slightly at the corners. If you need to, think of really happy and positive moments from your past or make something up that is really positive and happy and lend all your focus to that for just a minute, and allow that smile to fill your face. The longer and more often you genuinely smile, the better you will feel. Plus, happiness is contagious. You may notice that the more you smile, the more other people begin to smile, and the more positive all of your interactions become.

28. Celebrate Progress

Each step forward, no matter how small, is worth celebrating. Confidence grows with each win. When you celebrate even the tiniest of wins, your brain releases dopamine, and it reinforces the behavior. So, the more you do something, and the more you celebrate doing it, the stronger the habit and desire to do it again becomes.

29. Hypnosis (Should really be first on the list!)

Hypnotherapy can help rewire subconscious fears and instill a sense of calm and confidence. It can help you overcome bad habits, reinforce good habits, and boost your confidence and self-esteem. Be it utilizing visualization techniques, anchoring in positive feelings, or clearing out those old unwanted limiting beliefs, hypnosis can be the best tool in your belt to get the job done. It's quick, effective, and long lasting. It allows us to go right for the heart of the problems you may have and makes the changes deeply in your unconscious mind, eliminating resistance to change, and strengthening the changes you're making. Now, I used hypnosis to overcome confidence and self-esteem issues that used to hold me back, and because it worked for me it can work for you too.

30. Build a Support Network

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and encourage your growth. It may be hard, but those people in your life that are constantly doubting you, second guessing if you will actually succeed, giving you negative responses all the time, or just sapping your energy with their own miserable lives and problems. It's likely time to broom them and move on, and focus on the people who enjoy you for who you are and are there for you when you need them.

Real-Life Success Stories

Emma Watson: From Stage Fright to Inspiring Advocate

Emma Watson, widely admired for her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, wasn’t always the poised and confident speaker we see today. Early in her career, Watson struggled with crippling stage fright. She admitted to being so overwhelmed with fear before public appearances that she would curl up on the floor in the fetal position, "bricking it" at the thought of addressing an audience.

Her fear stemmed from the pressure of growing up in the public eye and the constant scrutiny of her every move. In an interview with Vogue, she confessed that stepping onto a stage or speaking in public often felt like a battle with self-doubt.

To overcome these challenges, Watson turned to mindfulness techniques, meditation, and breathing exercises. "Learning to sit with discomfort is one of the most powerful tools I’ve learned," she said during a Q&A. She also credited therapy and working with coaches for helping her reframe her fears and develop resilience.

Today, Watson is a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador and a passionate advocate for gender equality, often delivering powerful speeches on global platforms. Her transformation shows that even those who seem fearless had to work hard to build their confidence.

Warren Buffett: Turning Public Speaking Fear Into a Superpower

Believe it or not, Warren Buffett—the billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway—was once so terrified of public speaking that he dropped out of a required college speech course. "I was so afraid that I just couldn’t do it," Buffett admitted in an interview. "I would literally throw up if I had to give a speech."

Buffett recognized that his fear of public speaking was holding him back, both professionally and personally. Determined to change, he signed up for a Dale Carnegie public speaking course. Initially, he almost backed out, but the supportive environment and practical techniques taught during the program helped him build his confidence step by step.

The course not only helped him conquer his fear but also taught him how to connect with people authentically. "You can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills like public speaking," Buffett said in a CNBC interview. He considers the certificate he earned from the course one of his proudest achievements—so much so that it hangs in his office to this day.

Buffett’s journey proves that even the most successful people weren’t born confident communicators, and with the right tools, anyone can master this skill.

Tony Robbins: Transforming Trauma Into Power

Tony Robbins is one of the world’s most influential motivational speakers, but his path to confidence wasn’t easy. Born into a challenging home environment, Robbins grew up in poverty, facing abuse and instability. "I made a decision early on that my past would not define my future," Robbins said during one of his seminars.

In his 20s, Robbins discovered Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and became fascinated with how the mind works. He began using NLP techniques like anchoring to replace fear and self-doubt with feelings of empowerment. By tapping into positive emotional states and reprogramming his subconscious, Robbins was able to overcome the insecurities rooted in his past.

Robbins also worked on his physical presence, using power posing, controlled breathing, and vocal exercises to build an authoritative stage persona. Over time, he transformed his fear of failure into a drive to help others.

Today, Robbins credits his ability to overcome adversity and master confidence techniques as the foundation of his success. "Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change," he often says in his events. His journey inspires millions to take control of their lives and embrace boldness.

Adele: Turning Stage Fright Into Raw Performance Power

Adele, one of the most successful singers of her generation, has publicly admitted to struggling with debilitating stage fright and anxiety. Despite her vocal prowess and massive fan base, the thought of performing in front of an audience used to leave her physically ill. “I’m scared of audiences,” Adele revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I get massive stage fright. I just throw up a lot before going on.”

Her stage fright became so intense that she would suffer panic attacks and even avoid live performances when she could. This fear threatened to overshadow her thriving career. However, Adele didn’t let it stop her from doing what she loved. She sought help through therapy and adopted various techniques to manage her anxiety, including deep breathing and visualization.

One powerful method Adele relies on is grounding herself in the emotion of her songs. By focusing entirely on the meaning of her lyrics and the connection with her audience, she shifts the focus away from her own fears. She also admitted that swearing and humor help her release nervous energy, which is why her concerts often include witty, relatable banter with fans.

While Adele has confessed that her anxiety hasn’t disappeared completely, she’s learned to channel it into raw, emotional performances that captivate audiences. Her story shows that even the world’s biggest stars have fears—and that you can use vulnerability as a strength.

Barbra Streisand: Overcoming Decades of Performance Anxiety

Barbra Streisand is one of the most iconic performers in history, but for more than 20 years, she avoided live concerts due to an episode of paralyzing stage fright. In 1967, during a performance in Central Park, Streisand forgot the lyrics to one of her songs. The incident left her humiliated and so shaken that she vowed never to perform live again.

The memory of that moment haunted her for decades, creating a fear that even her legendary talent couldn’t easily overcome. In interviews, Streisand described the anxiety as “crippling” and something that threatened to derail her career as a live performer.

Eventually, Streisand sought help from professionals, including therapists and performance coaches. She credited a combination of therapy and visualization techniques for helping her return to the stage. Hypnotherapy also played a role in addressing the deep-rooted fears tied to that single traumatic memory.

When she finally made her comeback in 1994, she opened up about her fear to the audience, sharing her struggles as a way of breaking the ice. The honesty endeared her to fans and helped her reclaim her confidence. Today, Streisand performs with the same poise and grace that made her a legend. Her story is a testament to the idea that no setback is too great to overcome with perseverance and the right tools.

FAQs

How long does it take to build confidence?
It depends, but small changes can create noticeable results in a matter of hours, days, or weeks. Confidence is like a muscle—consistent practice leads to maximum growth.

Can introverts become confident public speakers?
Yes! Many introverts are excellent speakers because they focus on preparation and delivering value.

What’s the easiest way to start overcoming fear of public speaking?
Begin by practicing in low-stakes environments, like with close friends or family. Build up gradually.

Where should I start?
Starting by finding yourself a confidence coach who has experience dealing with your issues and access to the tools and techniques you may need to overcome your problems and achieve your goals.

Confidence isn’t something you’re stuck with—it’s something you build, step by step. Whether you try simple tricks like power posing, dig deeper with tools like EFT, or work with a coach, the key is to keep taking action. Every effort brings you closer to becoming the bold, fearless version of yourself.

About Michael D. Milson

Michael D. Milson is a dedicated confidence coach, certified clinical hypnotherapist, and a master practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). He holds an AOS in Mind-Body Psychology and has been helping clients overcome issues and unlock their potential since 2014. Michael’s extensive training includes power posing, public speaking, and a range of advanced techniques designed to empower individuals to break free from fear and self-doubt.

Michael’s journey to confidence wasn’t easy. In his teens and early adulthood, he struggled with crippling self-esteem issues that made everyday challenges feel insurmountable. He avoided presenting reports, speaking up in groups, and even promoting his own ideas—a fear that followed him into his career. Even during his training in clinical hypnotherapy in 2020 and his mind-body psychology studies in 2021, Michael found himself reluctant to participate fully in class discussions or put himself out there.

Determined to change, he immersed himself in the techniques he now teaches, combining hypnosis, NLP, visualization, power posing, and other strategies to overcome his fears. Through consistent practice, he transformed his mindset, stepped into his own confidence, and built a business helping others do the same.

Today, Michael’s expertise and personal experience make him uniquely equipped to help others navigate their own journeys toward confidence. Whether you’re struggling with public speaking, self-esteem, or fear of taking risks, Michael is passionate about guiding you to unleash your inner power and achieve your goals.

Ready to Transform Your Confidence?

Take the next step toward overcoming fear and building unstoppable confidence with a free 30-minute journey planning session! During this Zoom video call, we’ll discuss personalized strategies to help you succeed, identify if you’re a good fit for my program, and map out the next steps on your journey to becoming your most confident self.

Click here to schedule your free session today 👉 https://call.michaeldmilson.com

Don’t let self-doubt hold you back any longer—your transformation continues here!