Are you destroying your own confidence without even realising it?

Are you destroying your own confidence without even realising it?

It takes a degree of confidence to achieve happiness and success.

Confidence breeds action; which then leads to accomplishment from which we can enjoy positive emotions such as satisfaction and happiness.

Yet confidence can be elusive; and confidence can be undermined…sometimes by ourselves!

Check out this Forbes article by Stella Grizont to see if you’re unconsciously undermining your own confidence…

I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who was on the verge of breakdown. Before I tell you why, I just want to give you a bit of context: This woman is amazing. Her career is on fire. She travels around the world literally helping women lead happier lives, from Paris to London to sunny Maui. She’s making more money than ever, and she’s on the verge of publishing an exciting new book. She’s married to a loving and supportive man. And, did I mention she’s gorgeous?

What else can you ask for, right?

But here we were, and she was questioning everything. She worried that she was doing it all “wrong,” that she’d never be a “success,” and that she was wasting a lot of time. Instead of standing strong as the magnificent human being I know her to be, she was shriveled up in insecurity.

What happened? Well, if you’ve ever suffered from similar worries or bouts of questioning yourself, you may be undermining your confidence in unconscious ways, similar to my friend.

So, don’t do this at home. Watch out for these three unconscious ways you’re destroying your confidence.

1. Not Getting Enough Sleep

My three-year-old, Linor, has taught me how much sleep matters. When she was smaller and missed a nap, it was hell for everyone. She was agitated at best, and I was melting down at worst.

As adults, we also need our sleep, and we forget how much it impacts our mindset and emotional state. We mask the impact of being tired by pushing through and caffeinating. When we’re under-rested and feeling off, we start to judge ourselves as not being “enough” — instead of just taking a nap.

This is what happened to my friend. She had just returned from a massive speaking event and didn’t follow up with a good night of rest. The following morning (when we spoke), she was a wreck. But the next day, she was fine.

So, check yourself: Are you pushing hard but not allowing for restoration? Take a look at the calendar and preempt the meltdown by scheduling in low-key days to follow intense bursts at work, including big launches, presentations, sprints or whatever it is that’s high pressure for you…

…keep reading the full & original article HERE