Many people, both men and women, struggle with a healthy self-confidence level. Self-confidence can be affected by a variety of things, but boosting self-confidence is possible.

Boxing provides a strategy for not only getting healthy and fit but also challenging your mental and emotional capabilities. This, in turn, will help grow your self-confidence, not just in the boxing ring, but also in other areas of your life.

Defining Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is defined by two concepts. First, self-confidence refers to the steadfastness or persuasion of one’s ability to accomplish something, but it doesn’t specify its direction. The second concept, self-efficacy, refers to the task or goal that has been set.

Self-confidence expects that a person’s competency is solid. Self-efficacy is the expectation, based on self-confidence, that a person can have a positive environment, and achieve the goals that have been set. This is called outcome expectation. If your environment is restrictive so that you cannot perform successfully, then self-confidence and self-efficacy are interfered with. If your environment is fixed at a minimal level of performance, you can feel like it’s hopeless to continue a task.

To keep your self-confidence and self-efficacy positively expanding, it is important to master certain tasks so that goals are met. Focusing on your successes instead of your failures can create an upward spiral effect.

The stronger your self-confidence is, the higher the goals you can set for yourself. This, in turn, helps you stick with your commitments. As a result, finding self-confidence in one area of your life can teach you how to find self-confidence in other areas of your life.

Confidence From Boxing

Confidence in boxing can be defined as your belief in your ability to perform well in any situation, whether it be training or a bout. In boxing, self-confidence is gained from a baseline assessment of past performances, training and preparation. As your mastery grows of different skill levels, your confidence will grow.

High expectations can actually interfere with self-confidence. If you think you should win your first fight or that you should be able to handle a more intense training session and it doesn’t match up to your skill level, your confidence will suffer. Your focus should be on obtainable goals from your past successes. How does your training feedback from your coach relate to your skill level? This can tell you what goals to make and how to train for them.

Another barrier of your confidence is self-doubt. Your doubts about your performance can interfere with your training. It is important to instill a positive belief system to continue to encourage and motivate you as a boxer.

One important mental aspect of boxing is that you have the ability to take control of your situation. Train consistently and with a positive mindset. Set reachable goals. Surround yourself with people who motivate and encourage you.

Finding Confidence In The Ring

Your self-confidence can be influenced by how prepared you are in the ring. If you work hard in your training, you will have a tangible assessment of what you can accomplish during training. Your attitude is also important in how you prepare. If you let self-doubt creep in, your motivation is impaired. You may have the skill level to beat an opponent but self-doubt can keep you from success in the ring.

When you train, it is important to work on both your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to listen to your coach and to the boxers you train with. Your coaches at Gloveworx and the other contenders in your training sessions are going to give you positive feedback and constructive criticism. You need to have the humility to listen and incorporate their comments into both your mental, as well as, physical training. Be coachable!

Positive Self-Talk

Next, create positive self-talk. Self-talk is what we say to ourselves about our abilities. Learn to tell yourself what you can do versus what you don’t do well. Learn to take pride in what you have mastered and make incremental goals to get to success in the ring. This way you are seeing your progress and not discouraged.

Finally, when you are in the ring, focus on the next punch and not your record or how big or successful your opponent is. This can allow for self-doubt to sabotage your performance.

One way to encourage positive self-talk is to cover your mirrors with positive affirmations about who you are. Replacing negative self-talk requires routine. Seeing yourself in a mirror and reading positive things about yourself, can help overcome negative mental loops. You will start to see your self-confidence improve!

Training at Gloveworx

Gloveworx sessions are designed to help you achieve self-confidence, not just in the ring, but in other areas of your life. Learning to be coachable and listening to positive feedback from others, even constructive criticism, can help you in your career and in your relationships.

Gloveworx coaches work to provide you with both empathy and sympathy, as they coach your performance. Empathy means that they put themselves in your shoes and see how you handle certain situations and why. This allows them to figure out what mental space you are in, and what is holding you back from your potential.

Your coaches are also your strongest support system and can provide important guidance during training. Sometimes training can be tough, and a good coach will get you to push yourself if you are capable, and to get you to pull back if you are not. Their goal is to help you get to your goal.

If you have a lack of self-confidence, then you may not push yourself to your ability. With confidence, you’ll be able push yourself beyond your perceived limitations. Your coach is there to guide you, so trust them and their judgment. Their correction is not a slight against you but helping you get out of bad habits. If you are making excuses or getting defensive, your attitude needs to be adjusted. This can be a sign that your self-confidence is not as healthy as it should be.

What to Expect

During your first visit, your coach will ask you to discuss your goals and your thoughts about boxing. They can help you through the fear of stepping into the ring and help you overcome your negative self-talk. A coach can help you make a plan to achieve your goals and give you the self-confidence so you can carry those ideas outside the ring.

Improving your self-confidence is up to you. Boxing has the discipline and goal-setting that can help you overcome negative self-talk, but you have to give a 100% to the process both mentally and physically. Trust your coaches and trust your tribe. You will find that the skills you acquire in the ring can translate well in other areas of your life. Can boxing give you confidence? Absolutely.