It’s crunch time—you have to give that big presentation, write that report, or show up for that job interview. You’re nervous and sweaty and feeling like a mess. How can you boost your confidence right now? Try doing one of these five things…
Recall a Victory
Close your eyes and think about a moment when you had an overwhelming victory. Try to think of a time when you doubted you could perform the task then you came through with flying colors. For example, maybe during your last workout, you pushed yourself to do an extra three reps. This small boost of confidence helped you to feel amazing and on top of the world when your workout was complete.
Thinking about a previous win is a wonderful way to boost your confidence. It’s empowering to remember a time when you overcame an obstacle and found a way through difficult circumstances.
Visualize Yourself
Before you head into a difficult task, visualize yourself crushing it. You might think this sounds silly but consider the fact that athletes who perform at the top of their game often do this exercise.
Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer, created what he called a “mental tape”. This was a visualization of his perfect swim. Whenever his coach wanted to challenge Michael, he’d tell him to play the tape and this would encourage the young swimmer to push himself that much harder.
Meditate
Another way to tap into your self-confidence is to try meditating briefly for a few minutes. If you don’t normally meditate or if you need direction doing it, you can find a variety of apps to download on your smartphone. A couple of popular ones are Calm and The Mindfulness App.
When you meditate you clear your mind of anxiety, frustration, and other negative emotions. With your inner resistance gone, you open up the path to experiencing true confidence and a deeper belief in yourself.
Dress Up
Before you do something difficult, take the time to get ready. Go all out and do everything you would if you were attending a fancy event. Put on your best clothes. Do your makeup. Fix your hair.
If you have a special skincare routine, do it now. If you wear meaningful jewelry that makes you feel good about yourself, put it on. Once you’re all set, you’ll be surprised at how much it boosts your confidence to look your best.
Be Prepared
Sometimes, the thing that undermines your confidence before an important moment is the “what-if” questions. You might ask yourself, “What if I fail? What if no one likes my presentation? What if the slides don’t move forward? What if I can’t remember what the interviewer asked me?”
Instead of pushing these thoughts away, indulge them. Give serious thought to what you would do in each situation.
Sometimes, the best way to boost your confidence is to be prepared. So think it through and decide what you’d do ahead of time. Chances are, nothing will go wrong during your big moment. But if it does, you’ll be able to face it with confidence and assurance.
You don’t have to spend hours trying to boost your confidence before a big event. Even if you have just a few minutes, there are plenty of things you can do to increase your belief in yourself!
Journal Your Thoughts
- What’s one victory you’re especially proud of?
- When you visualize yourself succeeding, what does that look like?
- What can you do to prepare yourself for an upcoming challenge?
Whether you realize it or not, confidence impacts every area of your life. If you struggle with this skill, don’t worry. You CAN build your confidence one step at a time. Don’t let low confidence hold you back any longer!
Discover what’s undermining your confidence.
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