4 Great Tips to Boost Self belief
How much self belief you have affects everything you do and influences the success of every goal you work towards. Here are four scientifically proven tips that will bring your ambitions to life by increasing self belief.
Psychologist, Albert Bandura, spent a lifetime researching self-efficacy (belief in your capabilities). Bandura’s research shows that we can build self belief by using these simple techniques.
1. Mastery
Successfully mastering new skills and accomplishing your goals will increase your belief in your own capabilities (what Bandura calls self-efficacy). This means it is important to spend time acknowledging your successes. Your self-belief will be strengthened by every experience you master.
Set goals to provide mastery opportunities
All goals should be SMART:
· Specific
· Measurable
· Achievable
· Relevant
· Time-framed
2. Modelling develops self-belief
Modelling (Bandura calls this vicarious experience) is another great technique for developing self-belief. Look for people who are successfully doing what you want to achieve. Look for the similarities between them and you and model your behaviour on theirs. Believe that if they have achieved this goal then you can too!
Practising this modelling techniques is essential for increasing your self belief. The more often you practise modelling the quicker you will develop stronger self belief.
3. Constructive Feedback develops self belief
Seek out constructive feedback from others. A wealth of research suggests that encouragement from others develops self belief. Feedback we give ourselves is just as important.
What would be the result of telling yourself ‘I just can’t get the hang of doing well at interviews’? This type of inner dialogue or self-talk will keep you stuck in a rut.
Confident self-talk is crucial. Remember, we move towards what we focus our on. Tell yourself ‘this is easy for me’ and you will act accordingly, taking setbacks in your stride.
Techniques to develop positive self-talk:
Don’t make negative statements about your goal either to yourself or others. If you catch yourself making a negative statement, immediately correct it with a positive comment.
Make positive statements to yourself about your abilities and skills.
Replace negative thoughts with positive alternatives. Recall the vivid picture created by your visualisation of success.
Practice until positive self-talk is a habit. Positive self-talk is essential for increasing your self belief.
4. Managing emotions develops self belief.
The ability to effectively manage anxiety, stress levels and emotions is key to building self belief.
Visualisation overcomes unhelpful emotions and develops self belief.
Visualising success is a scientifically proven technique which is often used in the field of sports psychology. The principles can be used to overcome performance anxiety and develop self belief.
A useful technique is to focus on your success and visualise it happening in real time.
What you vividly visualise influences and shapes the future. Unfortunately, this includes visualising previous negative experiences. Visualising negative past events encourages negative thoughts about similar scenarios in the future.
Keep your thoughts positive!
Visualise your success.
Effective visualisation should use the following methods:
Imagine your successful scenario as a movie.
Visualise the brightest possible colours.
Choose a soundtrack to accompany your success and play it whilst visualising yourself achieving success.
If it feels good to have a loud soundtrack, increase the volume!
Take time to experience how success feels in your visualisation. Practise your visualisation regularly. Practice focuses all your senses on your future success and gives you a physiological framework to work towards.
Want to know more?
Dr Ivan Joseph gives tips on building self-confidence.
