Did Remote Work Affect Your Self-Confidence? Here’s How To Get It Back

Remote working comes with a lot of benefits, and this year’s statistics confirm that.

But, for some of us, it also came with a huge disadvantage: a dented self-confidence.

What do I mean? Read on to find out why you might be experiencing a lack of self-confidence while working from home and - even better - how to get your fabulous self back.

Why remote work might cause a loss of confidence

Chances are, working from home also means you’re working alone.

You don’t have the human connection you had in the office, where you could quickly reach out to one of your colleagues for advice or clarity. This helped with anxiety and stress, and the fact that it changed takes a toll on you.

It’s easier to doubt yourself because you feel the need to second-guess your work - is it ok? Is this what they want? And the question that’s familiar to many - am I good enough?

When you’re stuck at home, you suddenly have to handle everything on your own or with very minimal support. You’re forced to look within yourself and begin trusting your own ability to do something.

Another factor that can hurt our self-confidence is procrastination.

At home, things are different - you’re so close to your sofa, your phone, or other things that could distract you from your work. This is coming from someone who is soooooo easily distractible!

When you procrastinate, you might blame yourself for not getting work done, which will hurt your self-confidence.

No matter the reason, the good news is that you can do many things to boost your self-confidence, and I’m going to show you some of my favourite tips for that.

5 tips to be more self-confident at work

1. Find your tribe

You might feel like doing it all yourself is a better idea. Well, you’re certainly capable of handling it yourself, but it isn’t worth the exhaustion.

Your peers can help you navigate this weird period in your life. If your self-confidence has been dented since working from home, have the courage to open up about it and share it with your friends, family, and colleagues. Chances are, they’re in the same boat.

You’ll feel much less alone, more energised, and more prepared to take on the new days now that you feel supported, heard, and understood.

On top of that, a good, meaningful conversation with your loved ones can remind you who you are - a skilled, smart, fantastic leader.

2. Get to the heart of it

A lot of our anxieties come from our self-talk. We have all these thoughts about ourselves, our work, our lives… It’s easy to give in to the story we tell ourselves.

It has a lot to do with your self-esteem: how do you have your back every day? What kind of mindset do you start your days with? Are you ready to choose yourself, your wellbeing, and the things that help you perform best while also enjoying it?

Why are you feeling this way? What do you actually need? Ask yourself and listen.

3. Network

When I worked in an office, I was a pro at networking. I could so easily bump into the people I needed and get things agreed whilst standing in the coffee queue.

Working remotely doesn’t mean stopping that completely, it just means putting in a little more effort to start conversations. I’m telling you: it’s totally worth doing that because one of the biggest things that can dent your confidence is the lack of communication.

Like I mentioned just above, chances are, your colleagues are in the same boat as you. They would probably like to have someone to talk to, to share ideas and struggles.

Also, engage with your boss too. They need networking too, and you can work together on finding the best ways to make it work for both parties, while also simply having conversations to keep a nice level of connection.

4. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small

If you’re anything like I used to be, you’re having a very hard time slowing down, taking a breath for a minute, and just realising what you’ve been able to accomplish in the last week.

You’re so used to either keep going at 100 mph (I have a super useful e-book that can help you overcome that) or, if you slow down, you think about things that DIDN’T go well. This skewed view of success means we often miss the small things because they don’t fit our criteria of what amazing looks like.

My challenge to you is this: set achievable goals (break them down into smaller tasks - remember, not all tasks are important and, at the end of each day or week or whenever it feels right to you, pause and celebrate your wins.

No matter how small, these things will help you show up stronger, more confident, and more positive because they’re a reminder of how fabulous you are.

5. Prioritise self-care

Confidence at work, like many other things in life, stems from how much you care for yourself and how often you choose yourself.

Do things you love. Do things that energise you.

Get out for a walk in nature, go for a drink with someone that makes you laugh, dance around to music that empowers you, meditate, say no to something you would normally feel you have to say yes to…

In fact, anything that makes you feel happy in the moment and fully appreciate life is great to do as much as possible.

I know, we’ve talked about this before: you’re used to moving fast, you don’t seem to have time for self-care. But if you go through my blog, you’ll find so many tips about how to make that happen.

You deserve it, please vote for yourself and take control of your own happiness.

Getting thrown out of your usual ways sure feels strange. After years of going to the office, working from home can bring up some insecurities and fears that might’ve been kept hidden.

But confidence is almost like a skill. The good news is that there are many practices that can help you build it. The more you commit to doing them, the more confident you’ll show up in your professional and personal life.

My new course Supercharge your Power is now live - find out more and join today here