Maybe you’re sweating out an interview. Maybe your boss is mysteriously side-eyeing you during a meeting.
Or maybe you’re just scrolling through Instagram during a sad desk lunch, wondering why everyone seems to have it together but you.
Building confidence takes time and self-exploration. But sometimes, we need to amp our self-esteem in time for that meeting in 10 minutes. With these tips, you can reboot your confidence in 10 minutes or less.
Nod “Yes” to Yourself
Minutes before making a big pitch, you’re convinced that your idea is a bust. If you’re worried that everyone will say “no” to you, say yes to yourself—literally.
Duck into the bathroom and nod to yourself in the mirror: Research suggests that the up-and-down movement may increase your confidence in your thoughts. And once you buy into your own ideas, you’ll be able to sell others on them more convincingly.
Envision Your Future Self
Self-doubt stems from our fear that we’ll never become our best selves. To feel just a little closer to that person, visualize Future, Together You in full detail.
Fantasizing about a promotion isn’t enough, though. Imagine an entire day: from executing killer projects at work to paying your bills early.
Envisioning yourself in your dream job empowers you, even if you feel unprepared to reach it right this second.
In one Ohio State study, college students learned about a fictitious graduate program in business psychology. A control group was simply told that their GPA slightly exceeded program requirements and encouraged to apply. Students in a second group were told that their GPA was slightly under the program’s requirements, but that they were likely to be accepted with full funding, score multiple job offers and enjoy an enriching career.
Given more opportunity to pictures themselves in the role, students in the second group felt more confident in their ability to become business psychologists, despite their lower GPA.
Ok, you probably can’t imagine your way from entry-level straight to the C-suite, but by envisioning yourself there, you can instantly reassure yourself that you’ll get there someday.
Compare Yourself to Your Favorite Celebrities
Stalking Beyoncé on Instagram is an unlikely confidence booster, to be sure. Instead of envying her dance moves, though, look for some similarities. Even if you can’t belt it like Queen Bey, you might share her killer work ethic or commitment to service.
Those comparisons can actually improve our own confidence, according to a University of Buffalo study. When people with low self-esteem wrote down the positive qualities they shared with their favorite same-sex celebrities, they felt more able to become their best selves.
So here’s your permission for an Instagram break because seriously, who doesn’t want to feel a little bit like Beyoncé?
Create a Rainy Day Folder
Your manager blasts the presentation you spent all week preparing. Crushed, you spend the day obsessing over your flaws, ruining both your day and your self-esteem: “How could I be so stupid?” “Why do I even bother? I’m never going to get this right.”
Sound familiar?
To restore our confidence, psychologists recommend balancing this negative self-talk with positive examples of our worth. But in our shame and insecurity, it’s easy to forget all the praise and success that came before.
So stop your self-criticism in its tracks by creating a "Rainy Day Folder", an email folder with tangible examples of your value to others: a glowing performance review, a positive customer response, a thank-you note.
With a Rainy Day Folder, you’ve got an instant pick-me-up in your inbox. Next time you’re fighting your negative thoughts, counter them with all the lovely messages in your Rainy Day Folder.
