Visualize for a Quick Confidence Boost

Everyone experiences times when their confidence seems to slip away. From public speaking to a job interview, events that are out of our comfort zones can lower our confidence levels. Your palms start to get sweaty, your heart rate increases and you can feel the tension in your body. However you can boost your confidence when confronted with specific stressful situations.

Visualise for a confidence boost!

Visualisation is a very useful tool to use when dealing with difficult situations where you feel out of your depth. For instance if you know that you have to deliver a presentation in a week’s time and you can already feel your stress levels increase, part of your preparation should be to visualise a successful outcome. Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and get your body to relax through deep breathing exercises.
2. Once you feel relaxed imagine the specific situation that causes you discomfort. Visualise every detail of the scene from what you see, hear, how you feel and go through the event step-by-step. For instance if you have to give a presentation actually imagine giving presentation. Try and identify areas that are causing you concern – is it stumbling over your words? A bored audience? Feeling as if your subject matter knowledge is not sufficient?
3. Now release the tension built up during the first visualisation activity through deep breathing exercises.
4. Once you’ve relaxed think of someone you admire, someone who excels at the situation that causes you difficulties. It can be someone you know personally like a colleague or friend, or it can be someone you don’t know personally but you aspire to be like them.
5. Imagine the scene again but this time be a spectator and watch them handling the situation. Imagine the scene in detail including what you see, hear and watch the event from start to end. Imagine how they are feeling: Elated? Confident? What emotions do you imagine they are experiencing?
6. Now clear your mind and take deep breaths to relax.
7. When you are ready, imagine the scene again except this time step into your role model’s shoes and act as if you are them. Again take notice of all details of the scene. Remember you have their confidence now, their ability to handle the situation. Go through the scene in detail from start to end and feel their emotions, their confidence.
8. Once finished take note of how you feel. Do you feel more comfortable in the imagined situation? If not, rerun the scene acting as if you are them and draw on their confidence, their mannerisms to help get you through the situation. Keep doing this until you start to feel more confident.
9. When you are ready open your eyes, how do you feel now? Do you feel better able to address the difficult situation? Are you more relaxed?

It is best to repeat steps 5 through 9 several times in the days running up to the event to help boost your confidence.

Just before the event becomes a reality do this visualisation exercise again and feel your confidence getting stronger. Then do a deep breathing exercise to completely relax and maintain your heightened confidence levels.  

Walk into the event with your new found confidence and know that you can do it, you will be successful!