Are You Up to the Test? - Exploring Self-Efficacy
What does it take to feel confident in any situation?
It may seem impossible to look at challenges as opportunities instead of viewing them as a barrier. Even shifting your mindset by one degree and picturing it as an obstacle at least affords the opportunity for you to view it as something to overcome instead of a force preventing your success. One of the best ways to build your sense of well-being, confidence, and reduce anxiety, is to work on building your self-efficacy.
What is Self-Efficacy?
Self-efficacy is the idea that no matter what happens that you are going to get to the other side. This could be taken as thinking that you are capable of whatever challenge or it could be that you are confident that no matter what comes about, that you will endure it.
How to Build Self-Efficacy?
Deconstruct Catastrophic Thoughts
Challenging thoughts takes practice and persistence. We often take on beliefs about ourselves that do not serve us or are no longer true to who we are. Despite this, there is a piece of us that believes this is necessary for our survival and will fight to keep its’ place as our automatic thought. If you believe about yourself that you are not good enough, you will find evidence to support it. If you can tweak the belief and say, “I have overcome the challenges that I have faced so far” or “I have been tested in my life. This is another test and I will find a way through.”
Our bodies are very good at protecting us. One of the ways that they do this is by giving us anxiety. Anxiety is not always a bad thing but unfortunately our body does not always register the difference between an upcoming event or a hungry puma. A great time to panic and go into survival mode is when you’re facing some pearly whites that are remarkably sharp. A poor time to run screaming is when you are called on to share your slides of the powerpoint.
When you find yourself in a situation that you are thinking about disaster. Try asking yourself a few questions and taking the time to work it through.
What is the realistic worse case scenario? - Again, the key word is realistic. Although there are infinite possibilities in this world and there is a slight chance that a whale may come crashing through your roof, it is not a likely outcome. Unless of course you are krill. In which case, you would not likely reading this. Unless Aqua Man read it to you… I am getting off track here.
If the realistic worse case scenario came to pass, what would I need to do to be ok anyways? - You have survived everything that you’ve endured to this moment. Imagine yourself on the other side of the event once the dust has settled instead of remaining in the fear of that moment.
What are some pieces of evidence that tell me I will be alright? - Think about past experiences that you have pushed through so far. You could also take time to consider your strengths and pieces that are uniquely suited to you and your ability to do well in this setting.
Test Yourself
The primary way to reduce anxiety is building distress tolerance. This means sitting in the discomfort of the trying situation instead of avoiding the problem. Avoidance may provide short-term anxiety relief but it increases long-term anxiety growth. It also nearly guarantees that you will experience the same, if not greater anxiety when you try to accomplish the task the next time.
Exposure therapy has been found to be effective in overcoming or moderating the impact of phobias and other anxiety triggers. Consider making an exposure hierarchy where you rank approachable ways to challenge your fear so that you gradually build up to conquering the fear. Here is an example of an exposure hierarchy with public speaking.
Low Exposure (Start Here):
Research the topic you want to speak on.
Practice going over the speech a few times in your head.
Begin giving your speech in the mirror.
Record and listen to your speech
Moderate Exposure (Keep Going!):
Ask someone you trust to listen to you speak.
Speak to a small group of friends.
High Exposure: (End Here):
Crush your speech and inspire millions!
Story of Resiliency vs Story of Pain
In any event that is challenging, there are multiple ways to tell the story. You can speak to the story of pain and describe in great detail the trials, the setbacks, and what you had to suffer. You can also speak to the story of resiliency where you speak to your strengths, the growth you gained, lessons learned, and what made it possible for you to overcome. This is not an attempt to gloss over the pain but rather a chance to not skip over the ways you showed up to take on the challenge. If you take the time to reflect, I am confident you will find more examples than not where you raised to the occasion even when it was daunting.
Call-To-Action
What is something that makes you nervous or uncomfortable? Are there things that you have been holding yourself back from out of a fear that you may fall short? Try some of the tips above for building self-efficacy and ask yourself what you stand to gain instead of what you stand to lose. Life is a spectrum of risk and reward. Take a chance, be bold, and seize the opportunity to shine! I look forward to hearing about the successes you bring to fruition!
