FSS Newsletter :: April 2002

Career Corner :: 5 Ways to Improve Your Confidence at Work

We all wish we could be more confident. In the long term, that means believing in ourselves and our choices, and enjoying our accomplishments and relationships. Yet in the short term, it would be nice to get a little confidence boost every day to goose that long-term effort. Try these strategies and start feeling better today.

1) Move your body. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away and walk the distance. Ride a bike and work up a sweat. Exercise clears the brain and the lungs. It increases strength and endurance, and it defuses anger and frustration. You'll feel energized, and let's face it, energy is attractive. Nothing enhances your overall appearance like rosy cheeks and a lively step. So get out of chair and get the creative juices flowing.

2) Take a look at what you're wearing. It's what others see first. Everything you put on is a reflection of your taste, aesthetic sense and style. If your attire is inappropriate, colleagues are apt to question your judgment and your ability as a significant player.

When you're considering how to dress, ask yourself: How do I want to be perceived? Who are the people I want to impress? We're not talking fashion statements or fancy clothing; we're talking about what's effective in a given environment.

And remember these four key factors:

Fit.
Whether you use a tailor or not, make sure all your clothes fit well.
Cleanliness. Dry cleaning and machine washing can damage clothes. Make sure your outfits are clean without pulls, stray threads or chipped buttons.

Shoes.
Everybody notices shoes, mostly because we get nervous and end up looking down. Keep shoes well soled, shined and in good repair.

Smile.
A clean, bright smile goes a long way to making us feel better about ourselves.

3) Breathe. Stand still. Find sanctuary inside yourself. We are so time-crunched, information-bludgeoned, downsized and multitasked that it's spiritually suffocating. Without a way to focus on who we are inside, we add to the chaos.

Learn ''belly breathing'': lie on the floor, be quiet and place your hands on your tummy. Breathe from your belly, letting your belly rise and fall like a bellows. Babies breathe this way. I've learned to belly breathe on elevators, in bathroom stalls, and in the middle of crowded rooms when I need to calm down and focus.

4) Be disciplined. Keep your agreements. Be on time. Be mindful and in the present. When we stick to the ''now'' and don't chase rabbits, we are involved and aware of opportunities. Those we deal with sense that we're fully with them. That has a tremendous effect on the quality of your personal and professional relationships.

5) Give and receive. Give what you want. If you want more cooperation and respect, give respect and cooperate. If you want to succeed, help others succeed. If you want more joy, be more joyful. And be open to giving to yourself. Honor your own worthiness to receive or no one else will. When we circulate our positive energy, we create more and more to enjoy.

Perhaps, as you read this, you're thinking, ''These seem so easy, they couldn't possibly work.'' But those people who are most confident do live simply. They don't let life become overwhelming.