Owning a business means you’re mostly in “go” mode. You’re working hard to keep sales and cash flowing, leaving little room to accommodate hits to your ego, like a bad review or a negative social media comment.

But that thick skin so many entrepreneurs use to keep moving through obstacles can sometimes wear thin. If your self-confidence is feeling ruffled, try one of these tips to get your self-confidence (and your ego) back on track.

Take Care of Yourself

“Self-confidence depends on a combination of good physical health, emotional health and social health,” says Chris W. Dunn, founder and CEO of Skill Incubator, in an Entrepreneur magazine blog. “It is hard to feel good about yourself if you hate your physique or constantly have low energy.”

So, work on taking better care of yourself – physically, emotionally and socially. Eat healthier, exercise regularly and make sure you’re getting enough sleep.

“Build your self-confidence by making the effort to look after your own needs,” writes Dunn.

Stop Looking Externally For Approval

Relying on external approval can take a toll on your self-confidence. That doesn’t mean you don’t care what your customers and vendors think of your product and services, but you believe in your own gut for guidance.

Serial entrepreneur Syed Irfan Ajmal says he used to let others’ opinions influence how he saw himself.    

“What I've learned through my own struggle is that you can’t expect others to understand what's right for you,” he says in a Forbes blog by Kate Harrison. “Don't seek permission. Don't seek appreciation.”

Look For Positive Feedback Outside of Work

Sometimes finding something like a skill or hobby to hone outside of your business can help boost your self-confidence.

For Nicholas Smith, founder and director of CompareNewTyres.com, it was starting a work-out regimen, and benchmarking goals at the gym. It wasn’t only about the physical benefits but about getting better at what she set her mind to do that helped with self-confidence, she says. 

“Genuine confidence just seemed to evade me, until I started a new hobby,” Smith says in the Forbes blog.

She started on the treadmill at a half-mile and kept setting new goals every gym session. Her sense of accomplishment and confidence grew, she says. It was around that time she started her company “and success went hand in hand with my new found confidence,” Smith says.

“I'd achieve a milestone at the gym and that helped me meet a business goal, which would in turn help me do better at the gym,” she tells Harrison in the blog. “My hobby helped boost my confidence, and my business thrived.”

Use A Visualization Technique

Some people have turned to visualization to help change their inner negative inner thoughts around.

“A repeated thought, or feeling, can actually become a belief over time,” writes Moira Hutchison for Wellness Universe, an online directory and resource center to support and promote whole-health and well-being.

She suggests finding a visualization technique that works for you – and you can “train your mind” to feel confident.

One way to do it is to visualize yourself in a confident form – see the version of yourself that you are proud of, in your own mind,” writes Dunn in the Entrepreneur blog.

Get rid of the poor perception of yourself that might be fueling the lack of self-confidence and substitute it for a positive one.

“Practice visualizing a fantastic version of yourself, achieving your goals,” he writes.

Increase Your Knowledge

Start reading more. Watch more TED talks. Learn more about processes or specific business practices.

Increasing your knowledge could help you solve a problem or successfully tackle a complex issue.

“Confidence grows when you act on what you know,” writes John Brandon in a blog posted on Inc.