How can you use neuroscience to build confidence?

Survival mind and everything fight, flight and freeze builds grey matter in an entirely different part of the brain than confidence. To access confidence we need to practice mindfulness and contemplation. Meditation perhaps. We need to find as many ways as possible to get to the prefrontal cortex to build confidence and creativity.

Confidence is often lowered when we fear other people's perspectives of us, or our knowledge. Our brain moves into a fear state when we are worried about this. One of the greatest things we can do for our confidence is reduce fear - so, focus on breath, slow and rhythmical, calm the nervous system and watch our our fearful thoughts are reduced.

A cool thing is that - neuroscience shows us the power of meditation and visualization. These techniques trick our brain into treating imagined scenarios as real, allowing us to experience success in advance and reduce associated anxiety. From a physiological perspective, feeling the emotions during these exercises helps store the experiences in our memory, thereby building lasting confidence.

It seems obvious to me that the experience of confidence is really the absence of 'not confident' thoughts. If we look at the children, before they have formed beliefs they exhibit all the confidence one needs. Therefore when we exam the mind (think brain from the inside), the nature of thought, the idea of self, we realise this is the key to returning us to our arguably natural state of confidence.

The Neuroscience of Confidence Confidence is not an innate trait but a cultivated one, involving the coordination of various brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, amygdala, and hippocampus. These areas play vital roles in fostering confidence. Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin are crucial in this process. Understanding how to regulate these through your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can significantly enhance confidence. Cultivating self-awareness, self-esteem, self-trust, and self-expression are valuable practices for building confidence. Regular habit formation is key to connecting with and improving self-confidence.

It's important to not just seek positive feedback but to internalize it. Because our brains are hard-wired to detect threats, we hyper-focus on the negative. We notice all of our mistakes and deficiencies but breeze right past all of our accomplishments. We must consciously adopt practices that balance our self-awareness by training ourselves to focus on the positive. For example, keep an accomplishments journal. Every day, write down 3-5 things you did well. In doing so, you train your brain to notice the positive, which changes the way you see yourself. Additionally, each time you beat yourself up for a mistake, ask yourself sincerely, "And what went well?" If you do this consistently, eventually your brain will do this automatically.

Understand that as humans, we all have a negativity bias. It's normal for use to hyper-fixate on negativity. Here are a few ways to harness the positive feedback around you: * save screenshots of all of the positive comments & recognitions you've received into an album on your phone or computer * when someone compliments you, rather than saying "oh, it was nothing" say "thank you, I appreciate you sharing"... and internally, remind yourself "of course they said that, I worked hard on that project" * take a moment to celebrate after you receive positive feedback. Whether that's doing a little dance, throwing your hands up in the air, telling yourself an affirmation, it's important to take a moment to celebrate

Positive Feedback The power of positive feedback is another approach to boosting confidence. Neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, play a critical role here. Dopamine is the "feel-good" hormone, and engaging in activities that provide a sense of purpose and positive reinforcement can rewire your neurons, enhancing well-being and happiness. Simple activities like positive affirmations, building trust, expressing gratitude, praise, acknowledging one's values and morals, and receiving positive feedback can significantly increase confidence

Our brains are naturally loss-avoidant. When we think about making a change, we automatically think about what we might lose. Our comfort zones never seem more comfortable than when we're about to step outside of them. Additionally, we focus on all that could go wrong if we made the change. We all know, however, that not changing and growing means stagnation, which is often far less desirable than the discomfort that comes with change. To balance the scales, ask yourself, "What will I lose by not making this change?" Or, "What are the risks of staying where I am right now?" This helps us to realize that not challenging ourselves is also a risk.

With each challenge overcome, our self-efficacy strengthens. We start seeing ourselves as more capable, resourceful, and resilient. It's transformative from a neuroscience perspective and a psychological one.

Our brains are inherently wired to prioritise comfort and security, a survival mechanism ingrained from our ancestors' need to avoid danger. This instinctual behaviour aided them in navigating potential threats and ensuring survival. However, in today's modern world, this instinct can hinder our progress. Discomfort and growth are intricately linked. Stepping out of our comfort zones, challenging our boundaries, and embracing new experiences often evoke discomfort. Yet, it is through this discomfort that we adapt, learn, and evolve, ultimately leading to personal and professional growth. Understanding this connection between discomfort and growth can provide insight into our emotions, making it easier to confront challenges.

Challenges are essential for growth. Stress has become villainized in our society, but some stress is essential for growth. For example, exercise is seen as a form of stress, but it's important for muscle growth. Similarly to building confidence, the stress that comes from a challenge to achieve your goals can produce new neurons and synapses that can improve your brain health and cognitive and emotional abilities.

Challenges and Growth Challenges and growth also build confidence. Every challenge has a solution and provides an opportunity to learn. Challenges help you recognize your strengths and limitations, leading to personal growth and engagement. Facing challenges can stimulate the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, enhancing emotional and cognitive abilities. The brain's ability to adapt and learn new things over time is crucial. Strategies to leave your comfort zone and face risks help learn from various resources with active involvement of the brain, mind, and actions.

Relaxation and mindfulness don't have to be complicated. You can simply take a moment to become aware of your surroundings and tune into your senses to return to the present moment. Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 that you can smell, and one that you can taste. You can also carve out time to do meditations throughout the day, or take a yoga class.

Practicing relaxation and mindfulness, like deep breathing, can calm your mind before a big event. This reduces stress and anxiety by calming the amygdala. At the same time, it boosts focus and self-control by activating the prefrontal cortex. So, you feel more confident and in control during important moments.

Relaxation and Mindfulness Relaxation and mindfulness are essential for calming the brain, particularly the amygdala. During relaxation, the prefrontal cortex takes on more responsibility for empathy, positive thinking, and rational decision-making. Practices like the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" technique can manage overwhelm and amygdala hijack. Mindful breathing and body scans can increase self-awareness and presence in the moment. Mindfulness practices also enhance cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, increasing self-reflection and self-discovery. Reducing negative self-talk and increasing alpha wave activity in the brain, associated with relaxation, can boost

Surround yourself with people who inspire and empower you. Whether that's with the right friends, joining a networking group, or finding a wellness community, how can you surround yourself with people who will cheer you on?

Surrounding yourself with people you like and trust makes a great difference in building your self-confidence because they offer unwavering support, encouragement, and positivity, boosting your belief in yourself and your abilities.

Action and Repetition Actions speak louder than words. Taking 20 minutes of consistent action daily is more effective than thinking for 20 hours. By repeating the same action every day, you create a habit that leads to success. Aligning your thoughts, words, actions, and habits with your goals will help cultivate confidence. Repeated actions trigger neurotransmitters like dopamine, reinforcing positive feelings and building confidence through consistent practice.

Consistent action is essential with building confidence. The more that you practice something, the more comfortable and competent you become with that skill. We start to feel confident once we become competent.

The more you practise a skill, the more neuropathways you create in your brain. Things become easier and consequently, your confidence grows. So... Practise, practise, practise.

Our brains are hard-wired to detect threats, but our brains don't adequately distinguish between physical and social threats. When we face a social threat, our fight or flight response is activated, which temporarily suppresses our higher-level cognitive functioning, such as reasoning and problem-solving. Think about the most recent time you struggled to speak up in a meeting. You didn't lose IQ points. Your brain detected a threat and sent you into fight or flight. It's important to remember this because these moments often undermine our confidence and reinforce our narrative that we're not good enough. Instead, thank your brain, take some deep breaths and speak slowly. This will help you to feel more confident in the moment.

Confidence can be learned. I was a very shy girl - my voice, dressing, choosing to be heard not seen - then, at age 51, I joined Toastmasters and today, I can stand and speak from any platform and before any audience. A child raised with praise and encouragement grows with a great self esteem. A shy child can become confident since the brain slows down maturing at around age 25. The best day to start practicing was yesterday. Being willing to be vulnerable and asking for feedback can improve confidence. Using memory techniques to remember information can also help. Most importantly, work from inside out; not outside in. Lastly, doing mirror work - speaking in front of the mirror helps a lot.

Practice self-compassion. Show yourself kindness and understanding, particularly during moments of self-doubt or setback. Not only will this promote emotional well-being and resilience, but this practice fosters a more positive mindset and enhances overall mental health. Personally, I found this to be particularly beneficial during my PhD journey, as it provided me with a sense of comfort and support during challenging periods.