From the course: Leveraging Neuroscience in the Workplace

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Targeting the brain to build confidence

Targeting the brain to build confidence

From the course: Leveraging Neuroscience in the Workplace

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Targeting the brain to build confidence

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- When your confidence is shaken, you may think you'll just have to wait to feel better, but there are ways you can target your brain to improve your confidence immediately. Let's go over three ways you can change your brain when you lack confidence, so that you feel more empowered at work. The first way is based on a theory of a Harvard psychologist named Daniel Wegner. He found that when you're under stress, telling yourself not to do something will make your brain do exactly the opposite. Like if you tell yourself, "I will not snack on the office candy," then that's exactly what you will end up doing. That's because your brain doesn't have the resources to manage your stress, move you forward, and prevent you from doing something all at the same time. It's as if it doesn't hear the word not. So you have to frame your goal without using the words do not. That is, frame it positively. For example, rather than saying, "I will not snack on the candy," say, "I will eat healthy snacks."…

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