We all have moments where we’re not quite as confident as we’d like to be. You know, those moments right before a big presentation or while you’re waiting outside your boss’s office waiting to ask her for a raise.
Confidence is one of those things that can be hard to manufacture. Your lack of confidence; however, might be attributed, at least in part, to nerves.
In an article this week Fast Company pulled a tip from Barbara Markway’s book The Self Confidence Workbook: A Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Improving Self-Esteem: try some breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises can be an easy way to calm your nerves before a stressful event and can help boost your confidence when your nerves are getting the best of you.
To start, focus on your breathing. I personally recommend Googling “Breathing exercise” on your phone. That will bring up Google’s built-in 1-minute breathing exercise, which is short enough you probably have time to do it, but long enough to have an impact.
With it, you’ll be prompted to match your breathing to a circle opening and closing on the screen. It’s simple, and can help take your anxiety down a notch in a flash.
The app Breathe for iPhone also offers some similar breathing exercises that can help you reduce your stress level and increase your confidence.
It’s totally normal to be nervous before a big event. Just focusing on your breathing for a few minutes can be all your body needs to refocus and for you to get the boost of confidence you need to succeed.
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