“I’m not up to it”, “I’ll never be able to do it”, “it’s too good for me”… These phrases have a very often neglected effect on our psyche.
This is what Nawal Mustafa, an American neuropsychologist, aka Thebraincoach, reports on the social network Instagram, among others.
In a video published on March 7, she gives three keys to improving your self-confidence.
To discover
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The discomfort zone
Achieving a goal that was a challenge for us is, according to Nawal Mustafa, “the best way to boost your self-confidence.”
This accomplishment activates the reward system.
This stimulation results in a greater release of dopamine, the hormone of immediate pleasure.
As the neuropsychologist points out, we will then feel a “stronger feeling of accomplishment and mastery”.
Pay attention to “inner speech”
The second piece of advice shared by the neuroscientist to her 1.4 million subscribers is to be aware of the speech we have towards her.
It’s “the most obvious way to instill self-confidence in your brain,” she comments.
The reason ?
The beliefs, both positive and negative, that we hold about ourselves and the attitudes we adopt shape neurological pathways in our brain.
Nawal Mustafa therefore recommends being “our biggest fan”, which helps strengthen the brain connections associated with greater self-confidence.
Self-efficacy
Finally, the neuroscientist mentions the concept of self-efficacy, or “the degree of belief a person has in achieving a goal.”
Although it is difficult and takes a long time to develop, it nevertheless allows us to cultivate a form of perseverance: “being self-effective allows us to achieve positive results because we do not give up easily”.
To achieve this, Nawal Mustafa suggests looking at his first two recommendations.
She also recommends seeking to know ourselves better through questions about our values, the way we perceive ourselves, or even what we would like to change in our behavior.