Shape Up Your Mind: Top Tips from Dr. Alexandra Diana, Clinical and Counselling Psychologist.

IMPROVING SELF-CONFIDENCE: 
1. Act 'as-if'.

When facing a challenging situation, ask yourself:

ü  Do I feel 100% confident about myself?

ü  How would I behave in this situation?

ü  What would I say?

ü  What would I do?

 Then take a step towards acting in those ways, even if you still don't feel fully confident inside. Moving in the desired direction is likely to give you a boost.

2. Ignore your chatter-box.

Self-undermining thoughts are often messages we have learned from others as we grew up.
When your mind starts giving you negative messages like:
"You can't do it"
"It's never gone right before"

....simply accept this as something that human minds do, then stop paying attention to these thoughts and move towards acting in the way that you think will give you good results.

3. Remember your successes.

Bring to mind challenges that you have overcome in the past, situations that you have faced with confidence. Remind yourself of your strengths intentionally, to counteract feelings of fear and uncertainty that hold you back.

4. Relax your body, calm your mind.

Before significant events or feared situations, anxiety can be felt in your stomach, in neck tension, sweaty palms, etc.
Practice a few minutes of abdominal breathing or some yoga stretches, letting go of the tension in the body and the agitation in the mind.
This will help you approach the situation in a centred, self-assured manner.

5. Accept yourself as you are.

You are only human. No one is fully confident all of the time.
Accept and embrace your limitations, while doing what you can to overcome blocks in your path to greater confidence.