Be Mindful to Boost Workplace Confidence

By: Larina Kase, PsyD., MBA

You walk into a networking event by yourself. You don’t know anyone but you know that there are some good contacts for you in the room. You felt uncomfortable about going but managed to get yourself there. Now what?

You notice yourself leaning against a wall and think, “How should I stand? I look awkward?” You see groups of people talking and think, “I should go over there, but what should I say” You feel yourself getting nervous and you start to notice your heart pound and you feel short of breath.

As all of this is happening, what are you focused on? Yourself.

When you focus on yourself, you become more self conscious. This makes you less comfortable and confident.

One powerful solution is to learn how to focus your attention outside of yourself. When you focus externally rather than internally, your worries subside and you get engaged in the situation.

This tool works great for interpersonal situations, but holds true for many things. It is a core tenet of mindfulness and it allows you to:

• Be fully present in the moment
• End the vicious cycle of worrying
• Enjoy what’s happening around you
• Be more focused and productive

So how do you focus externally?

One simple and tangible way is to use your five senses.

Practice taking in information from the world around you with your senses. At the networking event, you’re listening to what others are saying. You’re observing their facial expressions. You’re noticing the smell of the food and the temperature of the air.

You can practice this skill in everyday situations. If you go for a walk, observe the smells, sights, sounds, tastes, and feel of the air on your skin and ground under your feet.

The key is that you do all of this with a nonjudgmental attitude. This means that you don’t observe the facial expressions of others and think, “What are they thinking of me?”

You simply observe.

This is one of those things that is complicated in its simplicity. It will require practice, but the more you do it, the more you’ll be able to take control of your attention and turn it external when you need to.

BIO

Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA is the New York Times bestselling author of The Confident Speaker and her latest book, The Confident Leader: How the Most Successful People Go from Effective to Exceptional. Learn how to expand your comfort zone and confidence level at http://www.pascoaching.com/ConfidentLeader

KEYWORDS

networking event, interpersonal situation, present in the moment, be more focused and productive, take control of your attention, nonjudgmental attitude, mindfulness