We’ve all had those moments at work – you know, the ones where our lack of confidence gets in the way of us putting our best foot forward. You may doubt your abilities despite being given the promotion you’ve been waiting for or may be feeling the pressure because you’ve finally been given the opportunity to present a pitch to people in your company who could take your career to the next level.
Recent research conducted by Head & Shoulders revealed that a whopping 92 per cent of British women harbour hang ups that hold them back and cited the workplace as the place they felt they could benefit the most from an injection of confidence. Of the 2,000 women surveyed, almost half felt they would be further in their careers if they had more confidence and a quarter said they would be in a more senior position had self-doubt not got in the way.
And sadly it doesn’t end there: a quarter of the women surveyed said they lacked the confidence to highlight things they’d done well, while one in three actively avoids situations where they will be the focus.
It sounds all too familiar doesn’t it? Whether it’s the fear of putting ourselves forward or how doing so will be perceived by our colleagues, we all seem to be allowing self-doubt or a lack of confidence to hold us back professionally in one way or another.
Exuding an air of confidence, especially when you’re feeling anything but, is a hard skill to master. No matter how hard you try, sometimes it’s hard to shake off that kid in the school ground feeling but we think it’s high time we all started achieving our full potential so to make sure you hit the ground running, we’ve rounded ten top confidence boosting tips.
A positive mental attitude
It may sound like an obvious one but negativity is the number one confidence killer. Feeling confident starts with thinking positively. It’s those thoughts that change the way you feel about yourself and that means making a conscious effort to give your thoughts a makeover. Books like Creative Visualisation and The Secret have long championed the power of positive thinking as a tool to manifest confidence.
Silence you inner critic
According to Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, one of the biggest causes of self-doubt is what she calls the ‘obnoxious roommate living in our heads’. According to Huffington, that’s the voice that tells us we’re not good enough, strengthening our insecurities and doubts.
Sit and think about how many times you’ve allowed that voice to hold you back – whether it’s was in the form of something telling you you’re going to fluff that big presentation you’ve been asked to make or that niggling feeling that you’re not good enough to apply for that new position. Remember that just your obnoxious roommate talking.
Getting rid of it isn’t easy but I’ve found a trick – before giving into that voice, ask yourself whether you would say that to a friend. Would you tell your friend to chicken out of that presentation or go for that role? Of course not so why would you tell yourself that you’re not good enough?
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Dress to impress
There’s something to be said about dressing the part. What you wear isn’t everything but it does go a way in making you feel better about yourself and exude an inner confidence. Invest in good stable of office wear that will leave you looking polished and professional. Even spending that little bit extra on a good quality notepad for meetings can give you that extra boost.
Look after yourself
It’s easy to fall into the trap of working all hours, eating at our desk and shoving whatever you can find in your mouth. Your general wellbeing has a big impact on your performance at work so making sure you’re keeping healthy is important.
Going to an exercise class a few days a week is proven for help improve the quality of your sleep and will leave you feeling more energised and focused when you’re at your desk. Stop turning to rubbish from your canteen and plan your meals in advance. Breakfast is a must for keeping your energy levels throughout the day and keeping snacks on your desk will prevent you from having afternoon slumps.
Keep on track
The most important way to feel confident at work is to keep on top of the job at hand. Make sure you’re constantly keeping up to date with your area and evolving.
Simply using the commute to work to read up on news in your area or asking your manager to go on a training course in a skill integral to your role can make a huge difference. Keep an eye on what your contemporaries in other companies are doing to make sure you’re constantly in line and ahead of the competition.
Invest in relationships
There’s nothing like working in a negative working environment to feed your insecurities and leave you feeling drained so make an effort to foster strong relationships with the people you work with.
That doesn’t mean becoming best friends with everyone you work with, nor does it mean socialising with them outside of work hours. All it means is working on establishing the type of relationships that makes the office a positive environment to be.
Stand up and be counted
If you’re naturally shy, vocalising your ideas in front of a group of people may be your idea of a nightmare but now is the time to combat your fears and speak up. Brainstorming sessions or departmental meetings are the perfect places to practice chances are, other people will be sharing and contributing too so the spotlight won’t just be on you.
Being worried about what other people will think when we speak is one of the biggest factors preventing women from speaking up in the work place. It’s the fear that we don’t have anything worthwhile to contribute and that we’ll be judged that holds us back. Instead, do your research and tell the obnoxious roommate in your head that what you have to input is as good as anyone else. The fact that you’re there is indicative of that. Don’t forget it.
Wave goodbye to comparison
No matter how confident you’re feeling on a given day, seeing someone who appears more competent or qualified than you is enough to ruin all of that. The reality is that the grass always appears better on the other side so before you give up and start indulging in self-pity remind yourself of that.
You may not have been to university like your colleague but the on the job experience you’ve had might actually make you better equipped for the job. If there are areas that you genuinely feel you fall short, work on developing those skills rather than giving yourself a hard time.
Be you
If you feel the need to put on a confident alter ego every time you’re in the office, you’ve got some work to do. It’s important to be yourself. Why be a second rate version of someone else? Confidence stems from being comfortable and happy in your own skin.
Get an extra helping hand
A good motivational book is a great way to keep you inspired and give you a dose of perspective when you’ve having a flaky moment. I have a notepad full of quotes from my favourite books that I carry around with me and use when I need a reminder to silence the critic in my head. Kindle’s are great for that because you can easily highlight passages you want to come back to. There are so many great books out there but I swear by Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. As she says, imagine what you’d be able to achieve if you were not afraid.