Don’t let a confidence crisis get the best of you
29 July 2022 at 3:57 pm
What can you do to help when you feel a bit down on yourself at work?
Had a rough week? Suffering a crisis of confidence at work? We all have those days – but if you don’t get it nipped in the bud, the days turn into weeks, turn into months… and potentially, the end of your time in that role.
It is possible to stop the cycle and restore your self-confidence at work. Restoring that feeling can impact not only your productivity in the role, but your overall happiness too. With that in mind, here are three tips to help restore your confidence at work:
1.Speak to your manager about your feelings
If you feel comfortable approaching your manager and have a good relationship with them, try telling them how you feel. After all, it’s their job to help guide you! See if they have any feedback on how you’ve been lately – perhaps they can provide guidance on bouncing back from a mistake or misunderstanding, or tell you the words you need to hear to get back on track. If they feel this runs deeper than just a dodgy week, they may recommend you contact an employment counselling service or other steps to help with your mental health.
2. Take some time out to destress
Stress is a funny thing; it can wreak havoc on everything from our sleep schedules to our immune systems. If you’re feeling your stress levels rise, it’s time to listen to your body and take a break. If you can, schedule in a day of leave so you can take the time to do something you love. Go for a walk, get in a pampering session, chuck some music on and dance around the house for an hour or so, bake cupcakes – whatever works for you. Give yourself some time to refresh, and you may find yourself feeling much more content and ready to go when you return to your desk.
3. Identify your strengths
Remember those SWOT analyses we used to do in school? Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Maybe it’s time to break out the pen and paper again and apply one to your work. What are you good at? What sort of things do people praise you for doing? And, do you enjoy doing those activities? Reminding yourself of what your strengths are in the workplace can help encourage those feelings of achievement and success, and can help your rediscover your passion. As the saying goes, if you find a job you love doing, you’ll never work a day in your life. So find what you love to do, allow it to restock your confidence level, and go forth into the new week with a better sense of self-esteem and purpose!
Of course, sometimes it’s more than just a few bad days. If you’re feeling that something’s not right, you can contact:
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
Lifeline on 13 11 14
