Lifestyle

How to get your confidence back at work as offices start to reopen


It’s normal to feel out of practice (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

We’re all very familiar with our WFH routines.

But now, as restrictions are slowly lifting, lots of people will be heading back into the office for the first time in over a year. 

We’ll be seeing our teams in the flesh again, be sharing office buildings with total strangers and even have face-to-face client meetings. And, after living pretty insulated lockdown lives, it’s only natural to be lacking in confidence. 

Simply put, we’re out of practice when it comes to traditional office life. 

Not to mention it’s been a year packed full of all kinds of anxieties. Now, as our lives are slowly starting to return to ‘normal,’ this is another change we’ve having to adapt to.

If you’re a little short on self belief as offices start to reopen, experts have shared some simple ways to get back to a more positive, confident way of approaching work. 

Come up with solutions

‘Be honest with yourself about what you are worried about, and try to be as specific as possible. Then ask yourself whether there is evidence that your concern is true. If it is true, try to get creative about how you could address the problem,’ chartered psychologist Portia Hickey tells Metro.co.uk.

A good way to do this could be through brainstorming your fears and coming up with solutions for each one. 

It’s also an effective way to let out your anxieties or worries – and you might instantly feel better after having an outlet to express them.

Remind yourself of your resilience 

It’s important to think about the skills you’ve learned, and insights you’ve gained about yourself, during your time away from the office. 

Portia adds: ‘Getting through the pandemic has required a tremendous amount of resilience from each of us, that we should congratulate ourselves for. 

‘Make a list of the things you’ve done, no matter how mundane you think they are, that have helped you get through the lockdown. 

‘Give yourself some credit and take stock of the adaptability and skills growth you have shown. Then, think about how you can apply your insights from these experiences in your work.’

Get nostalgic 

Remember post-work drinks and cake Fridays?

There were definite positives to office life, so it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with these. 

‘Remind yourself of the best aspects of going into the office and prioritise engaging in those activities again,’ adds Portia. 

‘If you enjoy chatting to your colleagues, perhaps set up coffee meetings and lunch breaks with them or creative brainstorming sessions with everyone together.’

Communicate with your boss

Be open with your boss and team (Picture: Getty Images)

One of the best ways to address this loss in confidence, is to talk to your manager about any concerns. 

Portia says: ‘If you’re nervous about going back to the office, it’s best to tell your managers so that they are aware. 

‘There’s every chance that they feel nervous too and will want to know how the team is feeling. This might help them develop ideas for activities for everyone to do together in the office when you all return.’

Keep a ‘brag file’

Another good way to make yourself feel better is to remind yourself of the things you’ve done well. 

Business consultant Richard Crawford says: ‘Whether it’s a chalkboard on the wall or a spreadsheet on your laptop, keep a record of all your successes – even the tiny ones – then gradually your confidence will be boosted. 

‘It’s also helpful, practically, to have this all in one place in order to remind yourself of just how much you’ve achieved and how far you’ve come – especially on days when things feel daunting or you’ve faced a knock-back.’

Focus what you want to achieve

Richard explains if you’re worried about hitting certain targets back in the office, then break your aspirations down into small achievable goals. 

He adds: ‘People use different words to describe this such as “manifest”, “visualise” and “dream”. Whatever you call it, it’s a great tool to use to help you focus on what you really want and then work towards that goal. 

‘You can write it down or draw a picture of it if it helps, or some people prefer to record themselves talking about it on their phone and play it back to themselves when they lose focus.

‘Pick the method that works best for you and notice how much more confident you feel when you’ve got a specific goal in sight.’

Make ‘yes’ your default response

Using positive language is an incredibly powerful tool for self-belief.

 Instead of worrying about whether you can do something, simply tell yourself you can – and think about ways you can go about doing it. 

Richard adds: ‘Say it with conviction and then work out how you’ll do it afterwards.

‘If your initial response is to um and arr in front of colleagues or clients, not only will you not feel confident, but you’ll appear it too.

‘By training yourself to say “yes” you’ll feel more confident in your ability and also push yourself to then work out how to achieve more rather than creating limits. Make sure you do actually want to do it, though.’

Believe in yourself

Yes it sounds simple, but it’s very important. 

Richard says: ‘For some people they can improve their self-belief through meditation or yoga, others find post-it notes with words of reassurance helpful. 

‘This is a hugely undervalued concept which I really can’t emphasise enough how important it is.

‘Once you really believe that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to, your confidence, or lack of it, will stop inhibiting you.’

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Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.


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