There are certain behaviours that may result from a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities. However, there are also practices that can help improve your self-confidence and, consequently, help you stop doubting yourself.
There are certain behaviours that may stem from a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities, such as the need to constantly justify your decisions, being afraid to disagree with other people’s opinions, or being reluctant to express different views because of what others may think, which can lead you to become defensive.
A researcher at Stanford University developed a theory known as Social Learning Theory, according to which self-confidence is the result of two factors: Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem.
Self-Efficacy refers to the extent to which we see ourselves as capable of carrying out tasks or facing new situations successfully. Self-Esteem is the assessment we make of our own worth and of how deserving we are of receiving good things.
Therefore, in order to stop doubting your abilities, it is important to develop conscious attitudes of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem, which can be trained, for example, by:
Learning from mistakes
We often hear the expression “To err is human” and, for that reason, we may not always take it very seriously. However, it is extremely important to understand that human beings are not perfect and will always make mistakes.
Even more importantly, however, we must learn from those mistakes and improve through experience. Human beings can only grow through the opportunities they encounter throughout life.
Trusting others more
Sometimes, the obstacle preventing us from having greater confidence in our own abilities is our inability to trust others. Trust can sometimes lead to feelings of pain and betrayal, but when placed wisely, its benefits include greater closeness to others, which in turn can contribute to greater self-confidence.
Invest more in yourself
One study suggests that adopting so-called “power poses” for two or three minutes in private before facing a situation that causes stress or anxiety can improve self-confidence and self-esteem, as this type of posture increases testosterone levels and reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
According to cognitive neuroscience, another way to help develop greater self-confidence is by tuning in to our emotional state — our sensations, thoughts and physiology. This practice is important for developing self-awareness and self-control.
These two abilities should be developed so that our minds do not become fixated on negative situations and we are able to take control, making it possible to give greater importance to the positive side of each situation.
