The power of language
- Philip Brophy
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Positive thinking • 2 min read
A study carried out in Ohio State University showed that posture plays a role in developing self-confidence. Not only is it good for your posture, but it also increases the confidence in your own thoughts.
The students that took part in the study were asked to write down traits about themselves when thinking about their future in the workplace. The students who were sitting in an upright, confident posture had more confidence in their traits while those who were slumped over were less confident in their capabilities for the future workplace.
Introduction
Lack of self-belief through negative thinking can hold us back…the feeling of being less than confident in the workplace, doubting our decisions, skills and abilities.
This week, we’ll look at how we can increase our self-belief by tweaking our thought patterns and language. This will make us feel more comfortable in our skin which in turn will help us perform more confidently in our roles.
Reluctant to draw attention to yourself?
Let’s see if you recognise this scenario:
Billie is creative and full of energy — she’s got all the credentials and continuously receives positive feedback on her work. But the moment she steps into a meeting, bashful Billie appears.
The worst moments for her involve the brainstorming sessions. It’s not that she doesn’t come up with ideas. It’s that she simply can’t find the nerve to express them.
She freezes and second-guesses herself with thoughts like,
“Will my idea sound simplistic?”
“Maybe it’s too obvious and everyone will think, ‘well obviously?!’”
“It must be wrong if no one else has thought of it!”
Even when Billie does speak up, she’ll introduce statements with words like, “Sorry if this is completely wrong, but…”
This habit of avoidance isn’t down to expertise, but to lack of self-belief through her constant negative framing of issues. And by staying silent, she misses key opportunities to influence key decisions, and build up her confidence through contribution.
So let’s look at some key ways to approach this.
Let’s get it started!
The good news — self-belief can be built up over time, but to build it, we need to practice.
We can start by banishing qualifiers.
Instead of qualifying your idea with:
“I don’t know if this makes any sense but…”
Try to hone your ability in confidently sharing your ideas. You can do this by replacing qualifiers with more direct statements. For example:
“I would like to add onto that idea…”
or
“I’ve been thinking about a new idea….”
You can practice by: expressing your opinions in front of a mirror; voicing your opinions more strongly with a group of friends; or even, having a trusted peer at work to give a signal every time you use a qualifier in a meeting.
This new positive stance will start to affirm how you psychologically frame your ability to perform.
Key takeaways
How we frame our thoughts and language (either positively or negatively) can play a vital role in how confident we feel.
We can build our levels of self-belief over time by consistently practising positive thinking and daily self-reflection.
Rehearse more direct tactics, e.g., going in with sharper, more confident statements in a meeting, over the standard apologetic and self-defeatist lines. Have a trusted peer subtly signal to you whenever you do the latter.
Think big, act small
Why not ease into the process by preparing how you’ll contribute to meetings, whether this involves having a colleague signal to you whenever you speak in an apologetic or defeatist tone, or voicing your opinions more confidently with friends.
Content sources
My Confidence Matters, 2020, ‘Putting Confidence at the Heart of your Organisation’
Forbes, 2020, Caroline Castrillon, ‘5 Strategies To Build Unshakable Self-Confidence’
Forbes, 2020, Scott Hirsch, ‘The Power Of Positive Thinking: Staying Motivated During Trying Times’
Harvard Business Review, 2021, Ann Howell, ‘How to Build Confidence at Work’
Science Daily, Body Posture Affects Confidence In Our Own Thoughts, Study Finds, Ohio State University
Comentarios