How to boost your confidence when you need it the most

You know those times when you're about to do something that's a bit of a comfort zone stretch and you're feeling it?

Maybe you're about to present in front of a group of people

Maybe you're about to pitch to a prospective client

Maybe you're about to speak up in a meeting

Whatever it might be...you suddenly feel nervous.

Your palms get a bit sweaty

You heart is beating a bit faster than normal

And you're out of breath even though you've only been sat at your desk.

You start to worry that you're not going to be able to do a good job, that your mind will go blank and that people will notice that you're not looking your usual confident self.

Ever been there???

Yep, most people have...but what do you do in that moment to get yourself back on track and into the zone?

1. Breathe

When you feel yourself getting nervous take some really deep breaths. This will take you out of fight or flight response and start to calm you down. You'll also start to feel much more in control.

2. Remember why it's you

Often when we feel nervous about doing something we focus on all the things that could go wrong. Take a moment to remember why you're doing this in the first place, and usually it's because you're the best person to do it. Write down all of the things you've achieved that you're proud of and remind yourself that this isn't your first day and you actually know what you're doing, and lean into that.

3. Put some high vibe music on

Music can change how you feel at the flick of a switch, so use it. Put on your favourite high vibe tune that you can't help dancing around to, that will make you feel happy, confident and on top of the world as soon as you hear it. (Top tip: Create your own High Vibe playlist for moments when you need a bit of a boost!)

4. Shake it out

A natural response when you feel nervous is often to tense up to try and stop the butterflies in your stomach or your hands and voice from shaking. All this tends to do is make you feel it even more. Instead give yourself a bit of a shake to release the nervous energy and help you feel calmer again.

5. Visualise

You might find that your inner critic has come out to play and all you can hear is 'what if I fail?' 'What if it all goes wrong?' Turn this on its head and sit quietly for a moment and visualise doing your thing but everything going perfectly. Our brain doesn't actually know the difference between fantasy and reality so it will believe that you're actually doing it...so when you are actually doing it, you'll feel so much more confident.

6. Act as If

I'm a huge fan of 'Acting as if'...this is how it works. Think about how you'd act if you were a super confident person...and then step into this. You're going to get there eventually so you might as well accelerate this by behaving like that now, and pretty soon you'll soon start to become (and feel) like your most confident self without having to think about it.

7. Focus on being excited rather than nervous

Did you know that excitement and feeling nervous have exactly the same physical symptoms? The only difference is your inner dialogue. One is dreading doing something, the other is excited about it. So choose excitement and start telling yourself that it's going to be pretty amazing and that you can't wait to do it, and see how different you soon feel.

This is just the tip of the ice-berg when it comes to growing yourself, so if you're ready for the next steps here's where I can help...

1) One to One Coaching for you or your team. This is for you if you're a Managing Director / CEO; Senior Leader or Business Owner. Direct message me for more details.

2) The Confident Leader Programme - This is a live 4 module programme via zoom for your senior team. Direct message me for more details

3) Join the Smash Your Own Ceiling Bootcamp - This is an 8 week group coaching programme to help you get out of your own way and stop holding yourself back. Perfect for all Leaders and Business Owners. The next round begins on the 2nd June. Direct message me for more details.