Wendy Green - 50 Things You Can Do Today to Boost Your Confidence

50 things you can do
today to boost

your confidence

Foreword by Simone Ryder, Founder of SWIB
(Supporting Women in Business), Professional Coach,
Author and Trainer in Confidence and Self-Empowerment

Wendy Green

PERSONAL HEALTH GUIDES

50 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

Copyright Wendy Green, 2013

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

Wendy Green has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is accurate and current at the time of publication. The author and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any misuse or misunderstanding of any information contained herein, or any loss, damage or injury, be it health, financial or otherwise, suffered by any individual or group acting upon or relying on information contained herein. None of the opinions or suggestions in this book is intended to replace medical opinion. If you have concerns about your health, please seek professional advice.

To my husband Gordon,
thanks for being so supportive

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Claire Plimmer for commissioning this title. Id also like to thank Simone Ryder, Founder of SWIB (Supporting Women in Business), for kindly agreeing to write the foreword. Im also grateful to Anna Martin and Elanor Clarke for their very helpful editorial input.

Other titles in the Personal Health Guides series include:

50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Anxiety
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Arthritis
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Back Pain
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Eczema
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Fibromyalgia
50 Things You Can Do Today To Increase Fertility
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Hay Fever
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage IBS
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Insomnia
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Menopause
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Migraines
50 Things You Can Do Today To Boost Your Self-Esteem
50 Things You Can Do Today To Manage Stress

Contents

Authors Note

Fifteen years ago I decided to expand my horizons by studying for a BSc honours degree in health studies. I had been interested in health since my teens and felt it would be a very interesting topic to learn about and eventually write about. Aiming to gain a degree felt way outside my comfort zone and I was apprehensive. What if I found the course too difficult and failed to pass the modules and was asked to leave? What if I couldnt fit studying around caring for my teenage son and daughter? Despite my fears I went ahead and enrolled on the course. Throughout my studies I had niggling worries about failing or not being able to cope, but I kept going, encouraged by the marks I was achieving in my coursework and exams. With each success my confidence grew and at the end of three years of hard work I gained a first-class degree.

With my newfound confidence I decided to enrol on a Teaching in Further Education course to expand my employment opportunities. Again, I felt nervous I found the idea of standing up and teaching daunting but I told myself that if I could pass a degree course I could also gain a teaching certificate.

When I delivered my first micro-teach to fellow students I was so nervous I could barely speak, and when I did my first teaching practice delivering a seminar at a local university I froze when I stood up and addressed the students in the lecture theatre. However, each time I stretched my comfort zone I became a little more confident, until eventually I thought nothing of standing up and delivering lessons to adult learners of all ages and abilities.

What I have found is that when you aim higher you do feel a little uncomfortable initially, but if you go ahead despite your fears, your confidence will grow and your comfort zone will gradually become bigger and bigger. If you combine this philosophy with looking after your health and appearance, so that you feel and look your best, your confidence really can soar.

Wendy Green

Foreword

by Simone Ryder, Founder of SWIB (Supporting Women in Business), Professional Coach, Author and Trainer in Confidence and Self-Empowerment

What a great book! Wendy has touched a subject very close to my heart. Having struggled to be confident enough to be myself and express who I am in the past, I now meet and support many women in my work, helping them feel empowered and confident in both work and life.

Many years ago as a single mum, very overweight and unhealthy, I had little confidence in myself. However, as Wendy suggests in her book, being body-confident can really increase your self-esteem; so I set goals and began to look after my health, and as I lost weight my confidence increased too. I like the way this book focuses on wellbeing, because this is where my success first started, and when my confidence increased I found ways to make all my dreams come true.

How to do this is the question and I can relate to this well. I know from my own experience of going back into education as a mature student with two daughters to bring up, starting a business on my own, writing a book and losing a lot of weight, that whatever the goal, the key has always been a deep-down feeling that I wont give up on what is important to me; this is the place where your inner confidence is developed, and Wendy encourages you and shows you how to develop this discipline within yourself.

In the chapter about building your confidence through complementary therapies you will find suggestions of how to support yourself, nurturing your mind, body and soul to stay calm and focused, and therefore more able to cope confidently.

Trying things for the first time is scary; for me going into business meetings, presenting and networking with strangers made me a bag of nerves when I first started out, but I needed to look confident and I soon found that wearing the right, smart clothes, being well groomed and well prepared, as Wendy suggests, helped me a lot. It was a bit like acting, but these techniques see you through until you really do feel strong inside.

Ultimately, I have found that confidence comes from being true to yourself and finding the right mix of strategies to help you grow in strength as a person, staying calm and grounded in your mind and heart about who you are and how you express yourself. Wendy has provided this wonderful toolbox of techniques, strategies and suggestions in her book to help you achieve the confidence you need to feel how you want to feel and succeed in life.