How confident are you?

From general work place happiness to acing interviews, it's safe to say - you need confidence more than ever if you're trying to succeed in today's working world! Honestly, without confidence you will find yourself holding back and, ultimately, hindering your own growth and potential. But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's start by having you take a look at the questions below:

• Are you afraid to speak up during meetings?
  
• Do you feel uncomfortable during interviews or 1-on-1's with your boss?
  
• Do you feel undeserving of compliments?
  

If you answered "yes" to any of these - you might be suffering from a lack of confidence. But don't worry, our team is here to help! Take these steps towards a more confident you and read along as we give you our 'Top 5: Ways to help boost your confidence!'

1: Exercise!

The first step to feeling confident comes from taking care of yourself. Running and general exercise is a perfect way to naturally reduce stress and blood pressure, strengthen your bones and muscles, and help lengthen your life! This renewed feeling of energy and strength will carry over into, literally, everything else you do - making exercise the perfect starting point for building self-confidence. 

2: Dress For Success!

You know that feeling of confidence and sex appeal that you feel after putting in the effort to make sure you're looking your best for an event? So, why not feel like that everyday?! Don't get us wrong - you don't have to be dressed to the nines every single day. But you must realize that even an unwrinkled t-shirt looks better than it's wrinkly or stained counterpart.  *Bonus advice - prep your outfit the night before to help remove stress from your normal morning routine!*

3: Know your strengths and weaknesses.

Start by making a list of all your strengths and weaknesses. Building a list of your strengths will help build your confidence as you remind yourself about all of the things you're good at! Now utilize this list to your advantage and position yourself in areas that you can shine. It's a lot easier to take pride in something you're good at, compared to something you're constantly struggling with. 

As for your list of weaknesses - what you've actually created was a list of 'areas for improvement'. So, instead of letting this list hold you back, let it give you something to aim for! 

Better known as a 'SWOT Analysis' (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) - find out how to perform your own personal SWOT analysis with some help from the video below:

4: Ask Questions.

One of the easiest ways to build workplace confidence is to simply ask questions, listen, and learn. Notice that one of your colleagues got complimented on their work performance lately? Ask for some advice. Is there a different department you'd like to transition to? Ask someone in the department more about their job. Looking for general advice on your work performance? Ask your manager for feedback and advice. Remember that knowledge equals power in the working world and it's up to you to reach for it.

 "Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses it's purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind." - Leonardo da Vinci

5: Fight Back Against 'Impostor Syndrome'

Scenario: You just got a new promotion, but you feel like it must have been pure luck or timing that got you that promotion - not your own skills and abilities. Now, instead of feeling accomplished and confident with your new promotion - you feel this sense of dread, that at any moment, someone will realize you don't actually deserve the promotion. 

That crazy little scenario is an all too common thing in today's workplace, and it's called the 'Impostor Syndrome'. Watch as Elizabeth Cox explains more and ways to combat it, in the TED-Ed video below: