Have you ever done the following?

• Not applied for a job, because you didn’t meet 100 percent of the qualifications
• Downplayed your skills and achievements

One reason why someone would do one or both of these things is due to a lack of confidence.  Situations at work or in our personal life can cause us to doubt ourselves and our abilities. Going through a difficult situation or dealing with a difficult boss doesn’t mean that a person is less capable. When life and work knock you down, here are some ways to increase your confidence:

Communication

In business, you don’t have to speak softly and carry a big stick.  Instead speak clearly, enunciate your words and stay away from slang and jargon.  Even if you aren’t sure your advice is right, speak as if it were right, as in “Let’s do X,” not “Maybe we should do X.” Projecting confidence through your speech is one way to feel more confident and for others to feel confident in you.  A big stick won’t be needed.

Identify Your Strengths

What are you good at?  Is it business writing, public speaking, fundraising?  Not sure what your strengths are? Ask someone you trust where they think your strengths lie.  You could even revisit past performance reviews to see what other bosses had to say about your strengths and weaknesses.  Once you have a good idea of what your strengths are, incorporate them into your resume and LinkedIn profile.  You can even make a list for yourself and when you are feeling down, take out the list to remind yourself where your strengths lie and that the naysayers are wrong.

Identify Your Weakness

Identify where you could do better and take steps to improve in those areas.  Where do you need to do better?  Your business writing? Public speaking?  Using social media?  Identify the weaknesses and take the time to educate yourself.  Once you master a weakness you will feel more confident.

Look the Part

There is much truth to the saying, “When you look good, you feel good.” So, if you want feel like a confident professional, you have to dress like one.  Another important saying is to Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”  Pick out clothes that lean towards the classic style and flatter your body type.  Classic styles like an oxford shirt, black slacks, even the male and female versions of a business suit are classics for a reason.  They fit in, no matter the season and the person wearing those clothes projects an air of professionalism.

Sit and Stand Up Straight

As a mother, I have often said this to my children.  Not only are sitting and standing straight good for your back and torso, they also help a person to feel more confident and help the brain to work better. A study out of San Francisco State University demonstrated that sitting up straight helped subjects to correctly complete a difficult math task.  The study involved 125 students who were asked to subtract by 7 starting from the number 964 for 30 seconds.  Half of the subjects were asked to sit up straight and half were asked to slouch and then they switched postures.  Those who were intimidated by the task were able to perform better when they sat up straight.

Another benefit to having good posture is that it increases the amount of oxygen into your brain, which allows a person to work smarter. And not only does good posture make a person feel more confident, it also leads to others viewing a person in a positive light.

It is easy to look at others and think that they have “it”.  More often than not, the “it” is confidence. It isn’t brain surgery; it’s just believing in yourself and taking action.