Do you feel like you could use a little more confidence in your life? Are you looking for ways to boost your self-esteem? If so, you’re in luck. According to this article in Psychology Today, there is a lot you can do to increase your confidence. It outlines some of the key findings from recent research on confidence.

One of the most important things to remember about confidence is that it is not a static trait. It can change over time, and it can be affected by our environment and our experiences. For example, you may be confident in one area of our lives but not in others. Our level of confidence can also vary from day to day.

There are many factors that influence our confidence levels, including our genes and our early experiences. However, there are also things that you can do to boost our confidence levels. Some of these include:

• Practising self-compassion
• Focusing on our strengths
• Putting ourselves in challenging situations
• Thinking positively about ourselves

These are just a few of the things that you can do to increase our confidence levels. If you want to boost your employees’ confidence, you need to find a way to tap into their individual motivations. For younger employees, it may be enough to praise their efforts and congratulate them on their accomplishments. For older employees, it may be more effective to focus on their strengths and give them specific instructions on what you would like them to do. The bottom line is that confidence is something that you can all work on, and it’s worth the effort.

Confidence is essential for success in any field, but especially in business. A lack of confidence can hold you back from achieving our goals and reaching our full potential. Supervisors, managers, and business owners would do well to learn what makes people confident and how they can encourage their employees or team members to be more confident. Confidence is contagious; when someone feels confident, it rubs off on those around them.

For example, if you want to increase your competence, you can learn new skills or practice regularly. If you want to increase your power, you can start taking on more leadership roles or set challenging goals for yourself. If you want to increase your warmth, you can become more social and develop better relationships. And if you want to increase your connection, you can become more involved in your community or join a networking group.

Find out more in the original article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-central/201005/the-science-confidence

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. 

Are the toughest challenges in life really within our own minds? This question is a common theme throughout the 10 Ways You’re Stronger Than You Think article from Psychology Today. In this piece, the author examines the power of nostalgia and how it can help people overcome self-doubt and build resilience. It argues that by recalling happy memories and moments of joy, we can tap into personal strengths that have been lying dormant, allowing us to face difficult situations with greater strength and courage.

Exploring what nostalgia is, outlining its definition as a sentimental yearning for the past or feelings of longing for an idealised past. The writer goes on to explain how nostalgia has been proven to be helpful in difficult times, providing a sense of meaning and purpose through remembering pleasant memories.  It highlights the science behind the power of nostalgia, and explains how it can help us build our resilience.

The article also examines the importance of self-affirmation in challenging times, arguing that by recognising our personal strengths we can better cope with difficult situations. It looks at how we can use affirmations to remind ourselves of our worth and potential

The writer then dives into 10 ways that people can use nostalgia to strengthen themselves; these include focusing on previous successes, cultivating positive relationships, revisiting past hobbies and interests, creating a positive environment and seeking out support from family and friends.

Managers, business owners and supervisors who often find themselves facing numerous challenges on a daily basis. By using the strategies discussed in this piece, leaders can tap into their hidden reserves of strength in order to better cope with uncertainty or fear during tough times. Additionally, they can draw upon happy memories which will provide them with comfort while helping them remain focused on their goals despite any obstacles they may face along the way.

This empowering program offers guidance on how to use one’s own experiences as fuel for personal growth. It provides tools for building resilience so that individuals can face present struggles with confidence knowing that they have overcome similar hardships before.

In summary, 10 Ways You’re Stronger Than You Think is an inspiring article which explores how nostalgia can give us access to untapped reserves of strength when we need it most. The strategies outlined offer practical advice which is especially useful for managers, business owners and supervisors looking for ways to cope with challenging circumstances while remaining focused on their goals despite any obstacles they may encounter along their journey.

Find out more in the original article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/202203/10-ways-youre-stronger-than-you-think

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. 

Are destructive thoughts keeping you from achieving your goals? If you’re like most people, you may worry about responsibilities or what other people think of you. These thoughts can destroy confidence and leave you feeling helpless. With the right steps, you can learn to switch on your confident mind.

A recent article on Psychology Today from Joel Minden PhD offers several effective tips for building more confidence. The suggestions include the use of evidence-based cognitive and behavioural strategies. You can use any of these techniques to keep your mind from playing tricks on you. First, Minden suggests that you restructure exaggerations. This works best when you tend to overstate the negative aspects of your experiences.

For example, if you tend to assume the worst, you’re exaggerating the situation. Restructuring exaggerations requires you to pay attention to your negative thoughts. When a negative thought arises, question it. Try to provide evidence for and against your negative thoughts. You may also want to try evaluating the situation from someone else’s perspective. After analysing your negative thoughts, you’re more likely to see things more realistically.

Restructuring exaggerations doesn’t work for every situation. Sometimes you simply need to solve a problem. If something isn’t going as planned, ask yourself how you can fix it. If you can’t fix it yourself, ask for help from someone with the skills or knowledge that you lack. If you assume that the problem isn’t solvable, you may need to try restructuring your exaggerated thinking again.

The third recommendation is to accept what you cannot change. You need to accept the outcome of the situation and move on. Minden explains in the article that practicing acceptance helps you control thoughts that you don’t like.

If you’re a high-achieving professional, you’ll likely benefit from the techniques discussed in the article. Restructuring exaggerations is a great tool for dealing with imposter syndrome. It helps you recognise when you’re not looking at an issue realistically, such as when you’re being overly self-critical.

Accepting that you can’t control everything is another important realisation for leaders and C-level professionals. Accepting what you cannot change helps limit anxieties and insecurities. You learn to rely more on others instead of assuming that you need to fix everything yourself.

These are just a few examples of how to boost confidence and beat imposter syndrome. As the article explains, you need to practice these techniques to notice positive results. So, why not start now? Taking the time to focus on your confidence can prepare you for a brighter future. To learn more about how to build confidence, explore my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

When it comes to negotiations, keeping your emotions in check is essential for a successful outcome. In the article “Managing Your Emotions during a Negotiation”, the author outlines three key points that can help you manage your emotions and achieve success. Most people think of emotions as a hindrance to getting what they want during a negotiation. After all, logic and reason are supposed to be the tools of the trade, right?

The first point is to be aware of your emotions and how they are impacting the negotiation. This can be done by taking a step back and evaluating how you’re feeling at different points during the negotiation. Are you feeling impatient? Frustrated? Anxious? Angry? Once you are aware of your emotions, you can start to manage them better.

The second point is to have a strategy for managing your emotions. This could involve deep breathing exercises, visualisation exercises, or positive self-talk. By having a strategy in place, you’ll be prepared for any emotion that comes up during the negotiation.

The third point is to practice emotional self-control. This means staying calm and composed even when things get tough during the negotiation. Staying in control of your emotions will help you stay focused on the goal of the negotiation and ultimately achieve a successful outcome.

While these tips may seem like common sense, following them can make a big difference in the outcome of a negotiation. Managers, business owners, and supervisors who understand how to use their emotions effectively will be better equipped to get what they want out of negotiations. Understanding your triggers can help you avoid emotional outbursts that could damage negotiations. Managing your energy can help you stay focused and motivated during long negotiations. Staying positive can help keep the mood light and make it easier to reach an agreement. By being aware of your emotions and managing your triggers, and staying in control, you can stay focused and effective, you’ll be more likely to achieve success during negotiations and avoid wasting time on irrelevant discussions.

Find out more in the original article here: https://hbr.org/2021/12/managing-your-emotions-during-a-negotiation

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. 

Are you mid-career and feeling like you’re not where you want to be? You’re not alone. This article from Harvard Business Review outlines three biases that can hold women back in their careers.

The article discusses three specific types of discrimination: the likability penalty, the confidence gap, and the motherhood penalty. Each affects women differently by either punishing them for their behaviour or penalising them for taking time off. For example, the confidence gap means that due to a lack of confidence, women may not take risks or ask for promotions or raises as much as their male counterparts do. The motherhood penalty points out how after having children, women are often seen as being less capable than men when it comes to job promotions and opportunities. And finally, the likability penalty shows how being too agreeable can lead to mid-career women not getting taken seriously by their colleagues at work.

These types of bias can have a huge impact on mid-career women’s financial success and career progression. It is important for managers, business owners and supervisors to be aware of these biases so they can better understand how they may be affecting their female employees and make changes accordingly. They should create policies which support working mothers and make sure that people’s qualifications rather than gender or behaviour are taken into account when considering promotions or assigning tasks.

How can managers and business owners address these biases? Managers can make an effort to promote gender diversity in their organizations. They can also make sure that there are equal opportunities for advancement for both men and women. Business owners can create policies that support working parents, such as flexible work arrangements and paid parental leave. And everyone can make an effort to give equal weight to the opinions of men and women in meetings and decision-making processes.

These strategies can help to level the playing field for mid-career women, but there is still much work to be done. We need to create workplaces that are free from bias and discrimination. We need to empower mid-career women so they can reach their full potential. Let’s work together to create a brighter future for all women in the workforce.

Find out more in the original article here: https://hbr.org/2022/09/3-workplace-biases-that-derail-mid-career-women?utm_campaign=59d2c81294a32640540086c5&utm_content=632868619fadda00017d851c&utm_medium=smarpshare&utm_source=linkedin

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. 

Need confidence? Give yourself a chocolate. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of rewards for motivation. A new breakthrough in neuroscience suggests that rewards can also boost confidence. Giving yourself a small reward can train the brain to feel more confident.

A group of researchers published their findings from a recent study on using rewards to manipulate the brain. The researchers wanted to determine if self-confidence can be amplified directly in the brain. They explain that self-confidence is an essential quality to succeed in the modern world. Self-confidence may also help decrease the risk of mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

To complete the study, the researchers developed a unique method for reading and amplifying the brain. The method is called ‘decoded neurofeedback’. It involves mapping specific patterns in the brain linked to an individual’s feelings of confidence. The researchers used this technique to scan the brain and determine whether a participant is experiencing a high or low confidence state.

Participants were unaware of the nature of the study. They were instructed to perform a simple perceptual task. When a high confidence state was detected, the researchers gave the participant a small monetary reward. At the end of the training session, participants were asked to rate their confidence in completing the task. Participants were consistently more confident after receiving the rewards.

Researchers could also reverse the effects. By withholding rewards, they could lower the confidence of the participant. They essentially proved that it’s possible to train the brain to be more confident or less confident with a simple reward system. Keep in mind that the study was limited in scope. The study involved just 17 volunteers. However, it’s in line with the results of similar studies.

Research shows that a reward system helps drive motivation. It can also boost your confidence. If you’re an ambitious professional, your confidence influences career ambitions. Low self-confidence tends to lead to a feeling of inadequacy. You may start to feel unworthy of your job title. We call this imposter syndrome.

Giving yourself small rewards may offer a boost of confidence, but it may not be enough to beat imposter syndrome. To build authentic confidence, you need to get to the root of your insecurities. One solution is to reframe negative thought patterns using the latest neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques.

So, should you start rewarding yourself to increase your confidence? It’s a good start, but you should also explore additional confidence-building methods. For example, a reward may not train the brain to overcome major fears and insecurities. To explore other techniques for a more confident mind, learn about my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

Does your constant planning keep you from getting anything done in the present? Does your frequent worrying about the past keep you from trying new things? These are examples of how your perspective of time can impact your confidence. Thanks to research published on PsychologyToday.com, you can now gain a better perspective.

Everyone has a different perspective when it comes to the passage of time. Some people are more worried about the past while others focus on the future. According to Rosemary KM Sword and Philip Zimbardo PhD, these differences impact every aspect of your life.

The authors categorise people based on their time perspective. Someone who is ‘past negative’ tends to focus on negative events or thoughts from the past. This may include traumatic events or moments of failure. The negative thoughts tend to keep them from seeing a brighter future.

Someone who is ‘present fatalistic’ is rooted in the present but believes that they’ve got no control over their environment. As with past negative people, present fatalistic people tend to suffer from low self-esteem. They struggle to see their own self-worth. The authors also describe ‘extreme future’ people. This group includes people that are too busy planning to enjoy the present. All three of the time perspectives discussed can limit your opportunities.

So, what’s the best time perspective? The authors argue that the best perspective is balanced. When your time perspective is balanced, you can use your imagination in exciting new ways. You spend less time dwelling on negative thoughts from the past and fears of the future.

The authors used their theories to help treat war veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, balancing your time perspective is beneficial for everyone. Whether you’re more focused on the past, present, or future, your time perspective may be holding you back.

As mentioned in the article, the best perspective is a balanced one. The authors of the article also offer a few examples of how to balance your perspective. If you’re stuck in the past, you need to replace your negative memories with positive ones.

If you’re stuck in the present and feel that you’ve got no control over anything, you may also start to feel like an imposter. Try practicing more self-compassion. Give yourself the freedom to enjoy fun activities and accept yourself for how you are. Several of these suggestions align with common neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques.

Changing the way you think about the past, present, and future could hold the key to your happiness. Your time perspective largely influences your confidence. If you want to learn more about how to beat imposter syndrome, explore my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

So, you think that you’ve got it all figured out? Think again. It’s likely you’re dealing with a cognitive distortion. The truth is that no one has everything under control or knows all the answers. Most people have a mental bias. It leads you to overestimate or underestimate how much you can influence your environment.

You may believe that you can control everything or fear that you control nothing. This mental bias is called the ‘fallacy of control’. It’s a cognitive distortion, which means an incorrect way of processing information. A recent article on exploringyourmind.com offers more insight. According to the article, when you misinterpret reality, you make inaccurate judgments.

For example, if you think that you control everything, you may fail to recognise your limitations. People with this mental bias tend to be perfectionists. When something becomes out of your control, you may experience feelings of fear or rejection. The causes of this fallacy of control vary. Some of the potential factors include fear of delegating tasks and having an anxious personality. You may also be too much of a perfectionist or have deep-rooted beliefs that things depend on your actions.

The fallacy of control works both ways. Instead of feeling in control of everything, some people feel that they have no control. You may feel that you don’t have the power to change anything in your life. If this sounds like you, you may also suffer from low self-esteem and confidence.

The lack of control can increase your anxieties. This often occurs due to low self-esteem or feelings of learned helplessness. You may also feel that you lack control due to personal insecurities. According to the authors of the article, comparing your ideas with a reliable source of information can help combat mental bias.

The fallacy of control affects everyone differently. Whether you feel in control of everything or nothing, your mental bias may limit your success and professional opportunities. If you’re always in control, a moment that you can’t control may disrupt your routine. This leaves you feeling as if you are an imposter. If you’re never in control, you may already feel like an imposter.

Imposter syndrome is something that most professionals deal with at some point. When you realise that you don’t have everything under control, you may start to doubt your abilities. This makes it difficult to overcome challenges and explore new opportunities. Your confidence is also likely to suffer.

So, how can you control the fallacy of control? Start questioning your way of thinking. Don’t make assumptions. Evaluating your thoughts with a critical eye can help limit your mental bias and beat imposter syndrome. If you want to learn more about reframing your thought process, take a moment to explore my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au

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.