7 Ways to Feel More Confident & Build Resilience in Business

Collabotive article

How can any of us become more confident in business?

Being able to find confidence in ourselves on a daily basis can be difficult if we have a “not enough or not good enough” story.

Some people are born with lots of confidence, while others build it up over time.

And others have their confidence totally stripped away from various traumatic incidents.

But we know that having confidence is key in business and life, so here are seven ways to help us become more confident in business.

1. Dress for the job you want

Billy Porter says we should dress for the job we want, not the job we have.

This seems trite but, I’ve found that changing my closet to match the one that resonates with the version of me that I’m trying to birth, can help me start living into that new version of me.

I’m not saying go on a shopping spree, but I am saying - be intentional about everything in your closet and ask if it reflects the you that you are birthing.

The truth is that the clothes we wear, have the ability to influence how we feel in our skin.

Think about what you currently have in your closet and think about what you need to get rid of and what key pieces you might be missing that would elevate your look.

It might be getting some cheap glasses that aren’t prescription but make you feel a type of way.

It might be purchasing a statement jacket or blazer for the office or separating your clothing from workwear to casual out of office wear.

2. Feel the fear, sit with it and then do it anyway

Sometimes, we find ourselves quaking in our boots during a presentation or a networking event in business. And it's okay and totally normal.

Fact: most people are scared of networking sessions and public speaking, the trick isn't to run from the fear but to feel it, acknowledge it, engage it and then take action.

The more you do this. The more you teach your nervous system and the scared parts of you that you are safe.

This is how you build resilience.

Eventually, you’re going to find that you do feel more confident in certain situations, and what was once a life and death situation, just becomes a small scary event.

3. Pay Attention To Your Body Language

Your body language is something that can often be a big giveaway when you feel uncertain or lack confidence.

Our body language also influences our emotion state. Research shows that dancing, has the power to change our emotional states and regulate our emotions and shows that there’s a connection between the way we move and hold our bodies and the way we feel.

When we feel unsafe, we tend to fold into ourselves in an effort to protect ourselves.

So if we find ourselves in business situations where we feel anxious and scared, we shut ourselves off in different ways, and that can make us appear stand-offish or not willing to talk or engage, which can cost us financially.

I know how strong the desire to be invisible and not be seen can be, for most of us being invisible is a trauma response - it is how we learned to stay safe.

But there are times when we will be required to be visible in order to expand.

In those moments, when you want to hide, try to gently open your upper body and consciously take 5 deep belly breaths to calm your nervous system and lower your fight or flight response.

4. Have a tribe Around you

We all have good and bad days in business and there will be enough critics on our way to our goals, so it's important to surround ourselves with people who truly see our awesomeness, bring out the best in us and also cheer us on when things go side ways.

Having a tribe that has your back is key, these are people who will be your number one fans and provide advice when you need it.

When it comes to building resilience ans getting back up after a setback, surrounding yourself with the right crowd is going to help.

5.Acknowledge Your Victories

It’s important to really celebrate the small steps we make in our business and our lives.

Celebratimg our small wins and acknowledging our achievements is how we build confidence and start to see that the actions we’re taking are yielding results.

It’s important to acknowledge the progress we make on a daily or weekly basis and to understand that we’re further ahead than we were a day or week ago.

Progress takes time, and it’s not something that should be compared or measured against someone else’s success.

You have your own path, so your success and achievements will be unique to you.

When you have a win, celebrate it and celebrate yourself and the progress you are making. This will boost your confidence and challenge your self doubts.

6. Throw Yourself Into Something New

Throwing yourself into something new and learning a new skill, can help you feel more confident in business; you want to find challenges that help build your confidence.

Maybe you take lead on a project or you attend a networking event on your own or maybe you day yes to media interviews?

Confidence can come in many forms, so it’s looking at where you lack it in business and finding new ways of buildung it.

Try not to rely on being too comfortable and push yourself where you can because it’ll honestly make a real difference.

7. Practice gratitude

Being grateful and showing gratitude is a good practice for your emotional wellbeing.

Find those moments where you can express gratitude and show gratitude to yourself.

Everyone is going to have an off-day when it comes to work and business, but it’s knowing that even on those bad days, you’ve got something to be very grateful for that makes a big difference.

Feeling confident is obviously easier said than done.

There’s a lot of pressure that can come from our work and business environments and often it seems like we’re the only ones not feeling self assured, but that’s not true and there are tools we can use to build our confidence levels.

Throw yourself into your fears, feel into them, breathe, feel into your body and start dancing with each fear and see what it is here to teach you.

Find new ways to challenge yourself and be grateful for everything you achieve and celebrate your small victories.

Most importantly - celebrate yourself and your commitment to keep showing up, even when you feel scared.

That takes courage and resilience.

How have you been building your confidence and your resilience?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.