Whether it’s to impress a girl or help you snag a job, confidence is a quality that is so important to have. Sure, we all have certain days when we’re really “feeling ourselves,” as all the millennials say, but confidence isn’t about looking good in a new outfit, but feeling good every single day.

We know that can be difficult, though, as we’ve all got bad days that throw curveballs and/or stress our way. Thing is, being confident is a mentality and an exercise in believing in yourself, doing things for you and not for anyone else. For that reason, we think it’s important to put it on display as much as possible to help build positive mental health.

For those times when you’re feeling down in the dumps, though, we have a few tips on how to fake confidence so that you don’t lose your edge or appear insecure. After all, to reach your goals in everything you do, confidence in yourself is what’s going to help you get there — even if you have to fake it a little bit along the way.

Listen and don’t always talk

You know those people who seem to spew their ideas all the time and don’t ever take a breath between talking? They probably come across as a little anxious, right? Well, that’s because they probably are, showing signs of being unconfident by looking for affirmation by the things they say. While it’s easy to do that, for those looking to build confidence, slow your mind down and listen instead. You can gather a lot of information that way.

Fake it till you make it

We’ve all been in positions before where we had no idea what we’re doing, yet are expected to get something done. This can be things at work, or gambling on yourself to build shelves in your house. There are very few things that we’re all experts at, so don’t think that you need to know everything in order to get things done, just go in confident even if that means faking it a little bit. Ask some questions, read directions and go achieve the task you’re set out for.

Reflect on your accomplishments

It’s OK to pat yourself on the back sometimes, guys. Far too often people think it’s bad to look back at accomplishments or downplay the good things they’ve done for themselves. You don’t need to go boasting about how great you are to other people, but when you’re lacking confidence and need to fake it for something, a quick reminder that you’ve had success at things can help boost your energy and outlook on stuff.

Eliminate certain words from your vocabulary

One of the first words you need to eliminate to display more confidence is “can’t”, because it’s a bad habit to convince yourself that you’re incapable of doing anything. If you put your mind to it and aren’t afraid to fail, you’re going to be successful. In fact, those who are most confident are the ones who know that failure is an option, but they won’t accept it as an outcome. Other words to eliminate are things like “just”, “like” and “sorry”, as they’re all buzz words for feeling like you’ve messed up, which never helps your confidence.

Accept compliments when handed out

Much like the above about reflecting on your accomplishments, another good technique in faking or building confidence is accepting compliments from others. There’s a major difference between being confident and being cocky, so staying humble is an important trait to have most of the time, but don’t be afraid to say thanks when someone praises you. These things should be little victories and serve as a reminder that you’re pretty awesome, even on those days when you don’t feel like it.