Self-confidence is more than just believing that you can do things; it also means that you are aware of your weaknesses and limitations, but accept them so that you still have a positive view about yourself.
Having self-confidence in the workplace can be crucial to your success. It can make you more motivated, ambitious, and also help you overcome fear and anxiety so you can be more productive. Most importantly, self-confidence can help improve your performance and develop your skills.
If you find yourself feeling unsure about your capabilities, here are some strategies that you can apply to help increase your trust in yourself:
- Attend professional development training or skills training
When you increase your skills level or develop a specific skill further (i.e. learning a new coding language if you work in IT, attending a training seminar to learn new project management skills) you improve the way you perform in your role, which can then have a positive influence on increasing your confidence. On your own, you can also read books or watch online resources (I.e. TED Talks, free online courses offered by various universities) that can offer the information you need to add to your qualifications.
- Learn entirely new skills
When you learn something new and you apply it to your job, you increase your productivity and are able to take on new tasks more confidently.
- Dress for success.
Research has shown that the clothes you wear can affect your mental and physical performance. Dressing to appear more professional may help influence the confidence you feel when performing your job and interacting with your peers and superiors.
This holds true even when you are working from home. Slipping into structured but comfortable pieces instead of fuzzy loungewear will not only give you a confidence boost, it will tell your brain to make the distinction between work and home life.
- Leave your comfort zone
It can be harder (not to mention riskier) to apply this at work, but leaving your comfort zone is one of the most effective ways to gain more confidence in your career. For example, if you have always dreaded giving presentations in front of your colleagues, you can step outside of your comfort zone by volunteering to give the next presentation or co-hosting with a teammate.
- Emulate confident peers
Look for co-workers who appear confident and self-assured in their job and observe their mannerisms and how they interact with other people. How do they sit, stand, or talk? How do they command attention during videochat meetings? Incorporate these into your own actions to help you develop your own confidence.
- Set goals for yourself.
Setting short-term and long-term career goals can impact the way you perceive your strengths and success. Consider setting a goal for yourself to develop an overall capability or new skill, then measure your success by targeting small objectives to help you reach your result. Doing it this way can help boost your confidence because you can see where you are applying effective strategies to further your development.
For example, if your overall goal is to increase your work productivity, you can set smaller target objectives to help you reach that goal such as improving your time management skills or focusing on single tasks rather than multitasking.
- Focus on your strengths
Make a list of your strengths and abilities and a second list of your achievements. Make it a habit to read through the lists everyday, or anytime you need a confidence boost.
- Ask questions
Make it a habit to ask at least one question during team meetings, project planning sessions, or conferences to help clarify any information that you might not have understood. This can show your team members and supervisors that you will take initiative when you feel you might need more direction, and when you do this as part of your work routine, you can increase your feelings of confidence and self-worth through contribution.
As you work toward developing confidence at work, remember to take your time and be patient with your progress and professional development plans. Changes can take time to make and you might need to adjust your goals to reflect any changes in circumstances. But if you remain consistent in your actions and improvement plans, you will keep progressing toward becoming braver and more self-assured. For anything else, MindNation is on Facebook Messenger if you need someone to talk to. We are available 24/7; it’s completely FREE and absolutely confidential.
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Written by Jac of MindNation
MindNation Blog 