Want to boost your self-esteem? Try a little self-compassion. Research shows that most people are self-critical. Luckily, scientists at Kingsway Hospital in the UK and the University of Texas at Austin have also found that compassion can help counter the negative inner critic inside your head.

Self-esteem influences every aspect of your life, including your career. A lack of self-esteem may keep you from excelling in your role. It’s common for people with low self-esteem to feel as if they are imposters. This often leads to a cycle of self-criticism and decreased motivation.

So, what’s the best way to increase your self-esteem? Based on research published on livescience.com, self-compassion holds the answer. Scientists in the UK and the US published research suggesting that self-compassion helps you combat self-criticism. They also explain that self-esteem, criticism, and compassion are connected to three distinct emotional systems in the brain. These systems include the drive system, the threat protection system, and the mammalian caregiving system.

The drive system is linked to your self-esteem. It motivates you to accomplish things, such as career or relationship goals. It also relies heavily on dopamine. The threat-protection system relies on adrenalin. It’s also called the fight or flight system. It’s responsible for helping you decide whether to fight, flee, or submit when faced with a threat. Most of us are ruled by the first two systems. If you lack self-esteem, your drive system is low. When presented with a threat, you may choose to flee.

The mammalian caregiving system provides a healthier alternative to the first two systems. It relies on oxytocin and opiates. Scientists believe that the caregiving system evolved out of our need to care for the young. However, the caregiving system can also be used to support your own needs. Based on the information presented by the authors, self-compassion can help fight self-criticism and low self-esteem.

Practicing a little self-compassion can go a long way towards boosting your confidence. However, self-compassion is just one path toward building greater self-esteem and confidence. It’s also important to gain self-acceptance. Accepting that you possess negative and positive qualities allows you to see more clearly. Failing to accept yourself forces you to resist change.

Reframing your old beliefs is another method for gaining self-compassion. It’s also a common NLP technique. Try looking at yourself through someone else’s eyes. Using someone else’s perspective may help you uncover reasons to be more compassionate with yourself.

As pointed out in the article, a lack of self-esteem can leave you feeling as if you are an imposter. As a confidence coach with over 20 years of experience, I’ve worked with thousands of professionals with low self-esteem. If you want to beat imposter syndrome, explore my one-to-one coaching or online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

When it comes to confidence, women often find themselves at a disadvantage. In the workplace, they are less likely to be promoted and earn less money than their male counterparts. This is largely due to the way that confidence is perceived and used against women.

The article discusses three ways in which confidence is used against women: through social conditioning, through the power dynamic and through self-doubt. Social conditioning is the way that we are taught from a young age to view men and women differently. We are taught that men are strong and competent while women are gentle and nurturing. This can lead to women being seen as less confident than men, even if they have the same skills and abilities.

The power dynamic is another way in which confidence can be used against women. Women may be hesitant to speak up in meetings or take on new challenges for fear of looking incompetent or being laughed at. This can lead to them being passed over for promotions or opportunities. Finally, self-doubt can also play a role in undermining a woman’s confidence. Women are often their own worst critics and can doubt their abilities even when they have evidence to support them.

So what can managers do to help? First, it is important to be aware of the factors that influence confidence levels. Second, managers should create an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up and taking risks. This includes setting a positive example yourself and providing feedback that encourages growth rather than putting people down. Finally, managers should make sure that everyone in the organisation feels valued and respected, regardless of gender.

This article provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by women in business. It is well-written and easy to understand. It can help managers understand why some women might not seem confident in the workplace. It’s also important to understand how confidence can be weaponised so that we can help to prevent it from happening.

Find out more in the original article here: https://hbr.org/2022/10/how-confidence-is-weaponized-against-women

This article summary was created by Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a leadership trainer, success coach and people skills expert. She helps managers and business owners build thriving teams and organisations, using tools from Positive Psychology. She's trained more than 60,000 people during her career as a corporate trainer and professional development consultant. Her mission is inspiring talented people to become leaders who make a difference.