16 Exercises To Boost Your Confidence at Work

Confidence exercises are a way to develop feelings of self-assurance in your competency to perform a task. As a result, confidence in the workplace can offer benefits to many types of people. You can begin learning about and practicing confidence exercises to develop this trait.

In this article, we discuss confidence exercises, explain why confidence is important in the workplace and provide a list of exercises to try.

What are confidence exercises?

Confidence exercises are practices someone can use to develop an appreciation for their qualities and abilities. When implemented regularly, they can help build a confident attitude and improve productivity and quality of work. These practices are ways to remind yourself of your abilities and boost your mood.

Related: 11 Tips for Improving Confidence at Work

Why is confidence important in the workplace?

Confidence in the workplace can have positive effects on your performance. This trait shows you trust your ability to manage your responsibilities or achieve goals. As a result, employers often seek confident candidates when making hiring or promotion decisions. Confidence can offer several other workplace benefits, including:

• Improving your engagement at work

• Helping you communicate more effectively

• Influencing peers

• Making decisions more easily

• Lowering your anxiety and stress

Various individuals can use confidence exercises to develop this trait. For example, confidence can benefit someone looking to start endeavors, such as creating a business or starting a new job. Individuals who feel anxious or stressed at work may also use these exercises to help themselves feel more assured. Displaying confidence can also help you establish trust and respect with colleagues. As a result, improving this trait may help you advance in management roles. Establishing respect can help you motivate and lead your teams more effectively.

Related: Q&A: How To Be More Confident at Work

16 confidence exercises

You can use the following exercises to help boost your sense of confidence personally and professionally:

1. Smile more

Even if you feel nervous, smiling can help make you feel comfortable and improve your mood. Smiling also serves as an example of positive body language, encouraging other people to interact with you. Smiling while giving a presentation or recommendations can help your audience perceive you as a confident individual and trust what you say.

2. Portray a confident appearance

Feeling confident about how you look can encourage confidence in other aspects of your life. For example, wearing an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and powerful can help ease your nerves for a job interview. You can also use this technique as a method of self-care, such as getting a manicure or facial. Beyond providing confidence in your outward appearance, these tactics can help you feel more relaxed. When you feel your best, it can enable you to project a more confident image.

3. Keep a compliment journal

Begin your day by writing yourself some compliments. These compliments can focus on both professional and personal traits and skills. For example, you may express appreciation for your willingness to help others at work or your karaoke skills. This tactic allows you to focus on your positive aspects rather than your insecurities. Documenting these compliments in a journal enables you to return to them when you feel less confident.

4. Celebrate your wins

Focusing on the positive events in your life can help you maintain confidence. For example, consider rewarding yourself if you begin a new habit or achieve a personal goal. Recognizing these successes can help you feel confident about your abilities and motivate you for future achievements.

Read more: 22 Ways To Celebrate Wins at Work

5. Think about your skills

Another way to focus on your positive attributes is to think about or list the skills you possess. You can perform this technique alone or ask family members, friends or colleagues for their insights. Reflecting on these skills can help remind you of what makes you a talented person or an effective employee. Once you identify these skills, you can focus on using and highlighting them at work to showcase your strengths.

6. Reflect on your past achievements

Create a list of your proudest achievements to remind you of your successes. These achievements can be both personal or professional. For example, you may mention events like earning a medal in a race or getting accepted to college. You can also list results-related achievements, such as increasing your organization's revenue. When you think about these prior successes, it can give you confidence in your skills and abilities. You can use this confidence to motivate you toward more achievements.

7. Confide in a friend

Find someone you can look to for support when you feel low self-esteem. For example, you may ask a friend or trusted colleague if they would act as your "confidence buddy." These buddies may offer helpful advice or motivational words to boost your confidence. Having this support network can serve as an effective tool for managing stress and feeling more self-assured. Remember to reciprocate the support they provide to help show your appreciation for them.

8. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones

Challenge your inner critic by replacing negative thoughts with positivity. Positive thinking can help counteract feelings of insecurity by focusing your attention on what makes you great. To help yourself engage in positive thinking, speak to yourself as you would to a friend. You can offer yourself words of encouragement or support and highlight your most positive attributes.

Related: 10 Tips for Maintaining a Positive Attitude

9. Practice meditation

Meditation allows you to control your thoughts and can help you build your confidence. You can learn how to observe your thoughts without judgment through mindfulness practice. You also can visualize yourself accomplishing tasks and being successful. This anxiety-reducing practice helps you fix your thoughts in the present moment and improve your mental well-being.

10. Share your opinions

You can practice being outspoken and confident by sharing your opinions more often. For example, you may speak up and explain your ideas for an upcoming project during a work meeting. If you still feel nervous speaking in front of others, you can privately share your thoughts with your supervisor. The more you practice these habits, the more comfortable you will feel performing them over time. Sharing these thoughts at work can help you feel like your ideas matter and that others hear you.

11. Listen to your body's needs

Maintaining your physical well-being can help you feel more confident. When you feel good, it often shows in your mood, behaviors and appearance. Healthy food and exercise habits can also help reduce stress, allowing you to feel ready to take on your responsibilities confidently.

12. Do a power pose

As mentioned, positive body language can influence how you perceive yourself. Using a power pose in private can help boost your mood and confidence when you feel nervous or uncomfortable. A typical power pose involves standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. For example, you may try using this technique before entering a job interview or making a presentation at work.

13. Set achievable goals for yourself

Whether in your professional or personal lives, set SMART goals for yourself. This acronym represents specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals. Setting small, achievable goals can help you feel more accomplished. As you continue meeting these goals, it can help encourage and motivate you to work toward setting and achieving even larger ones.

Related: SMART Goals: Definition and Examples

14. Give yourself a powerful alter-ego

Consider how someone you respect would approach the task when working on an assignment. You can create an alter-ego that combines the qualities of your expert coworkers or a fictitious character you admire. Taking on this persona can help separate you from your thoughts and feelings of self-consciousness. Getting into character as this confident individual with expert knowledge can help you feel more comfortable perceiving yourself this way.

15. Create a self-esteem collage

A self-esteem collage can serve as a visual reminder of your value. Place this collage somewhere you will see it daily to give yourself a regular boost. When putting together this collage, include images that represent your positive attributes. Every time you look at those images, you will think about what makes you great or unique. You may also incorporate images that represent your personal or professional aspirations. As a result, the collage can help serve as a reminder and motivation tool for working toward those goals.

16. Listen to music

Listening to high-energy music can help influence your mood when you need a boost of confidence. The music that motivates you may vary depending on your interests. For example, rock music with heavy bass can help pump up some people's excitement levels or make them feel powerful. You may also consider music that makes you dance to shake out your nervous energy. Whatever genre you choose, make sure that it leaves you feeling happy, calm and ready to take on any situation.