Boosting your own self-confidence
If you want to be more productive, one of the best things you can do is boost your own self-confidence. This is not about thinking that you are the best at everything—it’s about telling yourself that you can do it.
Self-confidence is important for success because it gives us confidence in our own abilities, and this increases motivation and determination. A study from the American Psychological Association showed that people with high levels of confidence were more likely to succeed than those who lacked confidence.
Another study of more than 5,000 people found that those with low levels of self-esteem were less likely to achieve their goals than those who had higher levels of self-esteem.
Staying motivated
Motivation is the key to achieving goals, and people who are motivated are more likely to succeed. To stay motivated:
- Believe in yourself and your abilities. If you don’t believe that you can accomplish something, then there’s no reason to think of it as achievable.
- Surround yourself with positive people who will support you during hard times and offer advice instead of criticism when things aren’t working out perfectly (or even if they are).
Becoming more optimistic
When you think of optimism, it’s easy to focus on the positive. But this isn’t always the case. You may be more likely to recognize and acknowledge negative thoughts when you’re feeling down or anxious than at other times. However, practicing positive self-talk can help you become more optimistic overall.
Positive self-talk is an important part of maintaining a healthy mind and body. It boosts motivation, performance, satisfaction with your life and relationships—and it even helps prevent depression (1). Here are some ways to get started:
- Be mindful of how you speak about yourself in your head throughout the day. Are most of your thoughts positive or negative? If they’re mostly negative, try looking for specific examples that might be contributing to this pattern (e.g., “I’m never going to get through all these emails! Or maybe I should just delete them all.”) Then challenge those assumptions by asking questions like “What’s another way I could look at this situation?” or “How else could I deal with these emails?” This will help change how often and how strongly those types of thoughts occur in the future.* Get out into nature every day; spend time in places where there aren’t many people around so that you can fully focus on absorbing all its beauty without distraction.* Exercise regularly—this reduces stress levels as well as increases endorphins (the feel-good hormone) in the brain.* Laugh more often; watch comedies instead of dramas when possible (unless they’re educational!).
If you tell yourself you can do something, you’re much more likely to do it.
Positive self-talk is a simple way to focus and motivate yourself at work. With positive thoughts, you’ll be able to push through tough tasks with ease, and even find new ways to approach challenges.
Positive self-talk can help you master difficult situations by boosting your confidence and focusing your attention on the task at hand. If you tell yourself that something is easy or possible for you to do, then it’s more likely that will do it because of the positive mindset that comes with telling yourself this.
How can I learn about positive self-talk?
There are many ways in which one can practice positive self-talk: affirmations, inner dialogue/self talk for motivation, stress management and much more!
