No matter how confident people may appear, no one leads a life without a wobble once in a while. The odd bout of anxiety, worry and doubting yourself is normal, and everyone reading this blog will experience similar feelings once in a while.
If these feelings become overwhelming and constant, there’s no shame in seeking professional help to overcome them – but if you find that you go through them more frequently than not, there are steps you can take and tools you can use to manage them.
Think not just of this as how to gain confidence in yourself as a woman, but how to gain confidence in yourself, as YOU.
Re-frame Negative Thinking
When a bout of anxiety and self-doubt hits, you need to take time out from whatever is making you worry and sit with it for a while. Recognise and acknowledge that these feelings are normal, then get to work on them. Ask yourself: are your negative thoughts wholly accurate and factual – or are you over-thinking it and imagining scenarios that haven’t happened?
If you’re a visual learner, physically write down some lists. Firstly, list the things you know to be entirely truthful about the situation (with no emotive language allowed, as though you’re reporting on it for a newspaper). And then secondly, list how you can shape the outcomes of the situation (no matter how big or small).
Accept That Some Things Are Out Of Your Control
It’s not easy to accept, but it needs to be done: some things, you can do nothing about. What you can control, however, is how you react to them.
Taking care of yourself and ensuring that you are best prepared to tackle anything is the only way to make sure you’re mentally, emotionally, and physically ready to present the best version of you no matter what happens in life.
Eat and sleep well, and drink lots of water. Do what you love. Rest when you need to. In the long run, it will help balance your mental attitude as well as your work-life equilibrium.
Do It For Yourself
Do guys like confidence in a woman? Do employers like confidence in a woman? Do other women like confidence in a woman? It doesn’t matter – the journey begins with you, and you need to believe in yourself and the potential within before you can focus on others.
You’ll never be everyone’s cup of tea, and why would you want to be? That would mean never staying completely true to you.
Learn Your Triggers
If you experience frequent anxiety, it’s often possible to identify the triggers that spark it. This helps you prepare and develop coping mechanisms in advance. Journal life changes, events, and the feelings they onset for you. When you look back you will see patterns that fit your moods and behaviours. This puts you in a good position to adapt and work through future tough times.
If You Never Fail, You’ll Never Know What Success Feels Like!
Failure is frightening, but the path to success is never linear, nor easy.
“A smooth sea never makes a skilled sailor” – because in calm waters, everyone’s a good Captain!
In life, you’ll need to take risks, adopt a brave face and do things you don’t enjoy. Frequently, building confidence is about jumping in, saying ‘yes’ and working out the detail later. There’s an element of ‘blagging’ it here, but there’s no point in waiting to say to ‘yes’ to a good opportunity; you’ll only end up losing it.
If taking action and jumping right in is something you struggle with, we can help.
The biggest barrier to your success is you, so with a little emotional and mental make-over, you can become your number one cheerleader, facilitator and empowerment agent.
The Yellow Brick Road eBook ‘The #1 Truth to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Building Unstoppable Confidence’ is completely FREE and you can access it on your device whenever you need it to give you a boost.
What are you waiting for? The even better you starts right now!
