Looking to get back into the world of “I dread Mondays” (we hope you love your Mondays!), and “Thank god it’s Friday”?
We understand that this transition may seem overwhelming, even intimidating. You might feel like you have been out of touch for a while. Or that you don’t seem to have a sense of how things roll in the work space anymore. All of these thoughts and feelings have a direct bearing on your confidence – the single most important thing you need to succeed. No matter how steep the challenge seems, if you have the confidence to accomplish it, you will. However, it is always easier said than done. So, how to rebuild your confidence? Not to worry, we are here to help!
Practicing these five suggestions (which have been tried and tested, time and again) will help you realize you had never really lost your confidence. That you just needed a little motivation!
Think of all the reasons you “can” – Until now, you have been focusing on why you “cannot”. Stop. And think about all the reasons you “can”. Remind yourself that you have done this once, and while this time it seems tougher, you will do it again. Keep a little notebook full of reasons why you can. Go back to it often and dwell on those reasons to magnify the positivity!
Network and communicate – Set up a LinkedIn profile, join groups on Facebook, talk to ex-colleagues or family members whose advice you trust. But do not isolate yourself. The more you network and speak to people, you will realize that getting back to work after a hiatus is definitely not as scary as it seems.
Work on your communication skills – True you aren’t coaching for a public speaking competition. However, not feeling confident about getting back to work has got a lot to do with not feeling confident about your communication skills. The only way to dispel this fear is by tackling it head on. Listen to a lot of Ted-talks, watch a lot a lot of YouTube videos, and then look at yourself in the mirror and practice. Yes, even if you find it silly!
Invest in “me-time” – Do things that you love doing. When you invest time doing things for yourself, you start feeling incredibly confident. This confidence reflects in everything else that you do. Slowly, but surely you will find that you have been able to reaffirm your faith in yourself – that getting back to work won’t be as tough as you have been imagining!
Remember you are not alone – Like we mentioned earlier, this phase may seem overwhelming, even intimidating. You may feel as if you will never get there. Whenever you will that way, pull out that notebook full of reasons why you “can” do this. And remind yourself that you are not alone. Seek and draw inspiration from people who have been through the same phase. And it will surprise you when you find you are surrounded by so many of them!