(BRAIN) CHEMISTRY

The neural gymnastics of feeling like you’re going to boss it, decoded by neuroscientistturned-executive advisor Dr Tara Swart

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wh What’s going on in the brain when you feel confident?

ts The bonding hormone oxytocin, which allows you to take healthy risks that are more likely to lead to success, is activated in the brain. This increases testosterone

– in men and women – which raises your confidence levels.

This makes you more likely to feel joy and excitement.

wh Can you make believing in yourself a habit?

ts Absolutely. Habits are deeply embedded neural pathways in the limbic system and brain stem. You can start a new pathway, but it will take practice to cement it. You need to make a conscious decision to change, focus your attention on that change and then practise it deliberately, holding yourself accountable.

wh Level with us, is there some kind of ‘brain hack’ for making yourself feel more confident?

ts Focus on your past successes. If you don’t have a particular example, find a woman you relate to who has achieved what you want to and focus on believing it’s possible. Confidence is usually self-rated and there’s lots of research that shows women who rate themselves as more confident become more successful than those who don’t, so building yours is a worthy investment.

wh Where does your confidence come from personally? Any tips?

ts I believe in asking for help when I need it and making sure I have positive people around me who want to see me do well. But I’ve also learned to turn the naysayers into my biggest motivators to succeed, because I believe that mental resilience is the key to confidence. Knowing that I have the resources within me to bounce back from adversity has been key.

The Source: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life (£9.99, Vermilion) by Dr Tara Swart is out now