Being confident in today’s world is tough, brutal actually. And while it may seem like your troubles are coming at you from the outside, there are things you’re doing every day that are killing your confidence without you even realizing it. Alex Perry, CEO of Practically Speaking, shares with us four sneaky confidence killers and what to do about them. 

1.)   Negative Self-Talk. It may seem innocent, or even a little funny, negative self-talk is a big-time confidence killer. Phrases like “I’m such a mess.” “I’m so dumb.” “Today just isn’t my day” or “I’m so out of shape” increases your insecurity and programs your brain for failure. If you want to feel more confident, speak kindly to yourself. 

2.)  Comparing Yourself to Others.  Social comparison, whether it happens online or in-person, is a confidence no-no. If you’re constantly looking at what others do or have and wondering, “why can’t I do or have that?” you’re killing your confidence. Instead, focus on what you’re doing and practice being grateful for what you do and have. 

3.)  Trying to tackle too much.   There’s nothing more defeating than getting to the end of your day and counting up all the items on your to-do list that you didn’t get done. All too often we think if we just get more done, we’ll feel better, but the opposite is true. Instead of doing everything, create a small list, and focus on doing those tasks well. Knowing that you did what you needed to do, and did it well will give you a huge confidence boost at the end of your day!

4.)  Overthinking.  Have you ever overthought about something? Overthinking a problem or decision will leave you feeling stuck and unsuccessful. Often, we overthink because we’re worried about being wrong. So, to get yourself unstuck and moving forward, change your thought. Instead of thinking about all the possibilities of what could go wrong, think about what could go right! Just thinking about positive outcomes will go a long way to boosting your confidence!

To learn more about confidence and communication, visit Alex at www.pswithalex.com, and be sure to follow her @pswithalex on Facebook and Instagram.