CONFIDENCE TRICK WILL LIFT SPIRITS

Jun 15 2008 by Pauline Holt, Sunday Sun

IT doesn’t matter how positive, upbeat or confident you are as a person, there are going to be times when you feel quite the opposite.

This can often be the result of someone saying or doing something that knocks your confidence and makes you doubt your abilities. Sometimes, there doesn’t even have to be a specific reason . . . we just get “the blues”, nothing seems to go right and our confidence falters.

So what’s the best way to deal with this?

I’ve found that one of the quickest remedies is to have something handy that serves as a reminder of how great you really are.

I often advise my clients to start collecting things that make them feel good and that remind them of all their special qualities, unique abilities and talents. It could be a loving or encouraging letter that someone has sent you, or an uplifting card or email. Or perhaps a photo which recalls a time when you were feeling on top of the world.

Keep these reminders in a box, or drawer — or a folder on the computer — and, whenever you’re feeling down, reach for it and read the contents. I have a “Feel Good Folder” which sits by the side of my desk labelled “in case of emergency open and read immediately!”

One of my clients has a collage on her wall . . . photos, phrases, inspiring quotes and a gallery of all the people who love her and thinks she’s wonderful.

It’s remarkable how easy it is to forget all the positives, especially when you’re feeling a bit down. These reminders will help restore confidence and a sense of wellbeing. And if you are having a “bad hair day”, it’s always worth remembering Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote: “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent”.

V ANNABEL SUTTON is a professionally-certified life coach and author of 52 Ways to Handle It — a Life Coaching Year, available from Neal’s Yard Remedies — www.nealsyardremedies.co.uk — priced £6.50. To contact Annabel or subscribe to her free coaching tips, please email annabel@life-designs.co.uk or visit www.life-designs.co.uk