Real Confidence

How confident are you? If you feel like your confidence could do with a bit of a boost to help make personal and professional situations easier Real Confidence will help you take on the confidence robbers, keep track of your confidence daily and incorporate confidence-building habits into your life on a regular basis.

Written in association with Psychologies Magazine, the leading magazine for intelligent people, covering work, personal development and lifestyle issues Real Confidence is:

• Packed full of tips, techniques and advice to help you build your confidence
• Based on scientific evidence and cutting edge global research
• Rigorous with credible content presented in a light and accessible manner
• Inspirational yet down to earth and practical

FOREWORD by Suzy Greaves, Editor, Psychologies v

INTRODUCTION 1

1: HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU? 7

CHAPTER 1: Defining confidence – is it what you think it is? 9

TAKE THE TEST: How confident are you? 20

CHAPTER 2: Why do you want confidence – and why do you need it? 27

TAKE THE TEST: Are you over]confident or under]confident? 40

CHAPTER 3: How does real confidence feel? Being comfortable in your own skin 47

TAKE THE TEST: How comfortable are you in your own skin? 54

2: WHY DO YOU LACK CONFIDENCE? 61

CHAPTER 4: Where does your lack of confidence come from? 63

TAKE THE TEST: What kind of confidence do you have? 72

CHAPTER 5: What can you do when your lack of confidence is paralysing? 79

TAKE THE TEST: Do you have faith in your abilities? 92

CHAPTER 6: Confidence robbers 99

3: HOW CAN YOU LEARN TO BE CONFIDENT? 117

CHAPTER 7: Is confidence a skill you can learn? 119

CHAPTER 8: What type of confidence do you aspire to? 133

CHAPTER 9: Confidence]building habits 147

CHAPTER 10: Keeping track of your confidence every day 161

WHAT NEXT? 181

ABOUT PSYCHOLOGIES 182

REFERENCES 183

Psychologies Magazine (Kent, UK, psychologies.co.uk/work) is the leading magazine (print and digital) for intelligent people, covering work, personal development and lifestyle issues and striving to help its readers learn about and understand themselves and the world around them.

STOP FEELING SMALL

How confident are you? Deep down, you probably believe that if you could just be a bit more confident and comfortable in your own skin, then you could do anything you wanted. But there's always something that seems to hold you back. So how can you learn to be more confident?

START BEING BRAVE

Psychologies Magazine brings you the latest research and the best experts who are at their top of their fields to show you how to develop confidence for real. Packed with insightful advice, practical tips, helpful tests and inspiring case studies throughout, Real Confidence will help you to:

• Develop proven confidence-building skills
• Incorporate confidence-boosting habits into your daily life
• Feel relaxed in any situation and accept who you are
• Stop seeing lack of confidence as an obstacle to your happiness
• Leave the past behind and become the best you

No more sitting quietly over there, it's time to conquer the world and live a confident life on your own terms.

"Insightful, practical and human. Inside this book lies the key to building your confidence in an authentic way."

-Chris Baréz-Brown, founder of Upping Your Elvis and author of Shine: How to Survive and Thrive at Work