An important meeting awaits you ahead, and you feel depressed, anxious and think that you won’t be able to cope, that you will ruin everything, and indeed, is it worth going to it, because you are already sure that the result is not in your favor. Self-confidence.
often, directly depends on self-esteem, the lower it is, the more often you are insecure. But the good news is that self-confidence is a skill that can and should be trained.
I will share techniques that will help you feel more confident on the eve of the meeting, as well as help you cope with low self-esteem in the future, and, as a result, live your life better and better.
Back straight, shoulders back!
You have probably noticed that a stoop often betrays an insecure person. Our body transmits information about us and our mood to others through gestures and postures. Therefore, the first thing to do before a meeting is to straighten your back by pulling your shoulders back. At the same time, this posture has a double effect: in addition to making you look more confident in the eyes of others, our brain reads this posture and calms down. That is, as soon as you straighten your back to appear more confident – you actually become calmer, more relaxed, and more confident in yourself.
At one time, psychologist Amy Cuddy conducted an experiment at Harvard University and proved that our posture affects the mind and our well-being. Therefore, she suggested that before an important meeting, interview, or public speaking, stand for several minutes in a position of power, which will help you feel stronger and more confident. Many well-known politicians, athletes, and public figures use this technique before broadcasts, speeches, and important negotiations.
Be present “here and now”
Often at meetings, we focus on constantly evaluating ourselves: whether we speak correctly, how we look, what they think of us, and so on.
Try to stop thinking about it, and start being present in the moment and enjoy what is happening. Surely you have an interesting interlocutor or a good person. Try to find those pleasant moments in communication with him, without judging what is happening. Enjoy the process, be attentive to what others are saying, establish maximum contact with the audience, and so on. If, for example, you decide to change your occupation, take it as a game in which you move to a new level, where even more interesting tasks and challenges await you, meeting new people, and this will surely be an exciting adventure.
Carry out the planning
The state of uncertainty often arises from the fact that we do not see further steps, or how we will implement our plans. Therefore, it is important to outline what and how you will do to achieve what you want. Set yourself an immediate goal and write down five steps that you can take right now. As soon as you complete these actions, you will feel how much strength and confidence have appeared. Remember that all big wins start small.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes
Allow yourself to be wrong. The whole world is not perfect, and you can make mistakes, just like other people. And the world will not collapse from this. Mistakes are our experience, thanks to which we gain new skills, so making mistakes is not scary. This knowledge and understanding will also give self-confidence.
Refer to past experience
Surely in your life, there have already been many meetings, including successful ones. Remember this experience: what happened then, what feelings did you experience, what emotions did you experience, what happened at the moment of your victory, and what helped you? Your own past experience is a source of strength that opens up an additional resource for increasing self-confidence. Record such moments in the future.
And don’t forget to celebrate your own, even the smallest victories. We often discount the results of our actions. It seems to us that, in fact, we have not achieved anything and we have nothing to remember from our past that we could be proud of. But it is not. Celebrate each of your small achievements, celebrate, and then it will be easier for you to remember it. And these memories will keep you going.
Focus on the solution
If you change your focus and focus on the solution instead of the problem, then your brain will begin to generate ideas of what and how to do in order to achieve what you want. You should not focus on the fact that you will not succeed, you will not cope, you are not worthy, not good enough, and so on. Focus on what needs to be done to make it happen.
Don’t compare yourself to others
All people are different, all have their own capabilities, resources, and experience. Therefore, there is no need to compare yourself with others. Instead, study yourself. For example, you can ask your friends or those who know you well what your strengths are, what your abilities are, and what they value you for. Thus, you will receive information about yourself and a very large boost of energy for future achievements.
Develop!
Get new knowledge, skills, and abilities. Engage in self-development. This will greatly help to increase your self-esteem and gain self-confidence.
Change environment
Our self-esteem is greatly influenced by the opinions of others. So surround yourself with supportive space and avoid people who make you doubt yourself and your abilities. A supportive environment is not always one that only praises, but the criticism should be constructed so that you can see areas of your growth. Be grateful to such people and listen to their opinion.
Learn to respect the opinions of others
So that other people’s opinions do not affect your self-esteem, learn to respect others: their boundaries, their right to say no to you, and so on. If you agree that the other person can refuse you (for example, hiring or not responding to your offer in the messenger), then it will not be so destructive for you and will not undermine your self-confidence.
All in your hands!
You can achieve anything you want, it’s all up to you! No one can achieve anything for you, but making your life the way you want is in your power.
And another important thing that everyone is talking about, but it is really very important if you want to feel confident in any situation: it is a way of life. If you go in for sports, eat well, keep drinking, sleep well and enough, and your daily routine includes time for rest and walks in the fresh air – you will always be in a resource state in which your self-confidence will automatically grow.
Don’t wait for some better time to become more confident. Start acting right now, and move towards your goals in small steps. If you feel that you are too often faced with situations that, due to low self-esteem, affect your life and prevent you from achieving your goals, contact a psychologist. It will help to study the causes of low self-esteem, find new solutions, and find new patterns of behavior. Do not put off your life for later, live a full and vibrant life now!
