How to Feel Confident in Situations That Make You Anxious
We all struggle with feeling confident in particular situations. Everyone has anxiety about something. For some, it can feel perfectly comfortable to talk in front of your family but speaking to the clerk at the store can be downright frightening. Whether you have to speak up, preform under pressure, or leave your house and go into the unpredictable world, the suggestions in this video will help you feel more confident in situations that make you anxious.
Mindfulness for Confidence in Anxious Situations
Just this week I was talking to a client about how to get mindful when she was worrying about a possible anxiety-producing situation -- a job interview. Rather than go where our insecure and anxious mind wants us to go (thinking of every possible outcome and stressing out about everything we can't control), I encouraged her to practice some of these mindfulness and body awareness techniques for a few minutes. She could go back to worrying, but for two minutes I asked her to try them with me.
Why? I wouldn't give advice that didn't work for me and many others. Plus, by practicing when she wasn't super anxious it made her more likely to remember the skills when she was feeling overwhelmed. The act of getting in your body can make you distracted and calmer, rather than focusing on the noise in your head. This leads to handling anxiety-producing situations with more ease and feeling more confident in the experience.
Tips to Feel Confident in Anxious Situations
Emily is the author of Express Yourself: A Teen Girls Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are.You can visit Emily’s Guidance Girl website. You can also find her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
APA Reference
Roberts, E.
(2015, January 29). How to Feel Confident in Situations That Make You Anxious, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 4 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2015/01/how-to-feel-confident-in-situations-that-make-you-anxious
Author: Emily Roberts MA, LPC
Anxiety manifests itself in my shoulders. I turn my attention to relaxing them, over and over until they STAY relaxed!! The thoughts are not the enemy here. They are merely thoughts. They will not hurt me! I will not let them control how I act or feel!
Example: Just because my mouth waters when I walk by the cookie aisle doesn't mean I have to buy some. The thought of how good
they taste is only that. Don't give in to the thought.
Anxiety provoking situations will eventually be over. That's the good news! What a relief when they are!
Anne you make a wonderful point, the more aware we are of our body the more confident we can be. I love the way you've identified where your anxiety manifests and how you talk back it. Keep up the good work and thanks for these great tips!
Take Good Care,
Emily
Hi,
I suffer greatly from social anxiety, to the extent that I cannot meet anyone, apart from family members. I am mostly housebound.
Mindfulness is definitely a technique worth trying. I have to get much more disciplined about it, and turn it into a habit. We are defined by our habits. We must create new behaviour patterns, and stick to them consistently. Great post!
Please take a look at my site: www.depressionfreefuture.com.
Thanks, and nice to meet you!
John
Hi John thanks for sharing and I'm glad that mindfulness has been helpful for you. I read a book the other day and they call it re-mindfulness, because its a practice for us all on a moment to moment basis. I'm grateful for you thoughts and look forward to looking into your site.
Take Good Care,
Emilly
yes I do suffer anxiety when I am invited to my future in-laws home, as they have money and I am on disability. I bring what I can afford to make and I truly do that for my son and his girlfriend! I try to show them how much I love them both and treat them the same and bud out of their lives, however I suffer much anxiety when around her parents as I feel inadequate. They don't know about my illness and either does his girlfriend. I feel its up to him to tell them, whether he has faced up to my illness yet I don't know. He is 32 and no children. I think the combination of things in the situation make me uncomfortable, but I will try the techniques. I know when I am there I try to think I am just as good and be myself whether they like it or not and concentrate enjoying and making the best of the situation.
Sharon, it's so brave of you! I'm glad you're talking yourself into living your life to the best you can and it sounds like you are being very mindful. I also really like the book called The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edward Bourne I've used it myself and with clients. See if it's something that resonates with you for more tips and techniques. I look forward to hearing from you and keep up the brave and awesome work.
Take Good Care,
Emily