Confident At Work

Does getting more senior at work automatically make you more confident? Not necessarily.
As I approach two years of doing F45, I've been thinking about what lifting heavier weights has taught me about building confidence at work.
As your career progresses, you take on bigger responsibilities, make higher-level decisions, present to senior stakeholders and lead more people. But if your confidence habits are working against you, that extra responsibility can leave you feeling more unsure, anxious and under pressure.
In this episode of the Confident At Work podcast, I explore why career progression alone doesn't guarantee confidence - and how the habits of the Low Confidence Cycle and High Confidence Cycle can determine whether you grow stronger or ultimately undermine yourself along the way.
You'll discover why building confidence at work isn't just about taking on bigger challenges. It's about how you treat yourself while you're taking them on.
Ready to build confidence from the inside out?
​Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
​Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

Are you struggling with low confidence at work because of your boss or manager? If a difficult boss is making you doubt yourself, second-guess your decisions or question whether you’re good enough at your job, this episode is for you.
Your manager doesn’t have to be openly bullying or toxic boss you for their behaviour to affect your confidence. They might be critical, unpredictable, dismissive or undermining — and over time, this can have a serious impact on your confidence, mental health and wellbeing at work.
In this episode, I explore what happens when your boss is affecting your confidence at work, including:
How difficult managers and workplace bullying can damage your confidence
Why it’s important to have someone you can talk to or who can witness what’s happening
The cost of staying in a situation that is damaging your confidence — not just the cost of leaving
Why low confidence can eventually make you doubt whether you could get another job
How to work out whether you can actually thrive in your current environment
How your boss can end up becoming your internal manager — constantly criticising, doubting and setting you impossible standards
What you can do to stop getting stuck in the Low Confidence Cycle

If your boss is making you doubt yourself, this episode will help you step back and look at what is happening — both around you and inside you.

Want to be more Confident At Work?
Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

What is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and how does your mindset affect confidence at work?
In this episode, we explore how fixed and growth mindset can influence workplace confidence, particularly when you make mistakes, receive difficult feedback, try something new or get something wrong.
You'll learn:
The difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and what each looks like in the workplace
How a fixed mindset can turn a mistake or difficult experience into a judgement about your ability and impact your confidence
Why low confidence, perfectionism and unrealistic expectations can reinforce a fixed mindset
What growth mindset at work actually looks like in real-life situations
How to use fair evaluation to assess your performance
A simple way to shift from “I'm just rubbish at that thing” to “What happened, and what can I learn?”
How this can help you build self-trust, resilience and confidence at work

This isn't about pretending everything went well or telling yourself you're brilliant at everything.
It's about learning to evaluate yourself fairly, understand what happened, take the learning - and move forward!

Want to be more Confident At Work?
Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

Why can you feel anxious at work when you know, logically, that nothing is wrong?
Maybe it happens when you speak up in meetings, give a presentation, make a decision, speak to senior people, deal with conflict or put yourself forward.
You know you're not actually in danger. But your brain and body can react as though you are.
In this episode, Anna Manning explores anxiety at work, low confidence and why your brain and body can learn to experience safe situations as a threat.
You'll hear:
why you can feel anxious, nervous or fearful at work even when you know you're safe
what happens when your brain and body register a work situation as a threat
how learned threat responses can affect speaking up in meetings, presentations, decision-making, difficult conversations and dealing with senior people
the difference between THREAT / THREAT and THREAT / SAFE
how your brain and body can learn something new and begin to experience previously difficult situations as safe
Because confidence at work isn't about learning to manage your nerves. It's about changing what your system has learned to expect.
If there is a situation at work that feels like a threat even though you know logically that nothing is wrong, this episode is for you.
Want to be more Confident At Work?
Start here: take our free Confidence Assessment
Get private support to feel more confident at work: book a call to explore private coaching
Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

Brain fog, losing your train of thought and what happens to your confidence when your brain goes blank.
Ever forgotten what you were saying halfway through a sentence?
In this episode, Anna Manning explores brain fog, losing your train of thought, forgetting words and going blank in meetings — and how it can affect your confidence at work.
Anna shares how she responds in these moments to stay in a high confidence cycle, even when she forgets a word or loses her train of thought.
Brain fog can be a symptom of perimenopause and menopause, but there are many reasons you might struggle to find the right word or lose your train of thought.
In this episode:
Why your brain might go blank
The connection between brain fog and confidence
What happens when you start monitoring yourself
Why what you do after a meeting matters

Want to be more confident at work?
Start here: ⁠Take our free Confidence Assessment⁠
Get private support: ⁠Book a call to explore private coaching⁠

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic