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Mentorship November 22, 2016
You have a presentation at 8:00 a.m, lunch with the CEO of your company at noon and a pile of assignments waiting to be completed before five that night. You already know that your day will be crazy and you can barely drink your morning coffee thanks to the butterflies in your stomach. The truth is, being a successful business woman isn’t easy.
In fact, you aren’t the only woman who struggles with self doubt in the workplace. Men – across several cultures and all ages – report higher levels of self esteem at every stage of life, according to recent study on the “confidence gap” in Western nations and the U.S.
What’s a wannabe successful businesswoman supposed to do? Get confident with these research-backed five tips from ENTITY!
Do you want to be kick butt as a scientist? Then you might want to invest in a fitted suit to catch your superiors’ attention. According to the Journal of Experimental Psychology, male or female workers often experience “enclosed cognition,” which basically means if you look the part, you can act it too. So the next time you have a busy day, wear an outfit that you associate with empowerment and success.
Also, don’t “settle” when you’re shopping for your perfect power suit. As one senior college student discovered, finding an elegant pantsuit (like Hillary Clinton likes to rock) can be challenging. Her tips? Ask your mom for advice on where to shop and keep searching until you find the right fit in size, cut and color.
READ MORE: 7 Hillary Clinton Looks That Prove She’s Just an Honest Girl in a Pantsuit
Do you have any activities that you do so often, you hardly think about them anymore? For instance, do you make pancakes every Sunday morning, pick out your fashionable outfit the night before work or sneak in a workout during your lunch hours? Whatever activity you ritually repeat, participating in it before an anxiety-causing event could improve your mindset and performance.
As Francesca Gino and Michael Norton discovered in several research studies, engaging in a ritual before your big meeting can make you feel calmer and, as a result, kick booty on your presentation! If you’ve been seeking an excuse to eat pancakes on a Monday morning, here’s your answer.
How does a clean shave make you feel? As crazy as it sounds, it may be exactly what you need to feel ready to rock your busy day, according to a recent survey by BIC Soleil. Of the 1,000 millennial American women surveyed, nearly half of them stated that shaving makes them feel more confident, sexy, beautiful and happy. One third of responders also remarked that they feel more positive when they can show off a clean, close shave.
As the New York Post explains, some women (like Miley Cyrus or Jemima Kirke) can feel empowered by embracing – and even flaunting – their natural hair. For those who don’t, though, shaving may mean gaining the confidence and positivity needed to be the successful businesswoman you want to be.
READ MORE: 5 Ways You Can Fake it ‘Til You Make It
What happens to you when you’re nervous? Do you keep saying, “like,” forget the notes you studied for five days straight or sweat through your new business jacket? If you struggle with the last point, perfume may be the key to blowing your boss away. After all, when you smell a man wearing nice cologne, preconceptions like “she takes care of herself” may come to mind.
Not only can wearing your favorite scent make others view you as confident, but studies also suggest that you’ll feel more confident and attractive too. Who would have thought that by finding the perfect perfume you’re also finding your inner Wonder Woman?
Do you avoid walking under ladders and stepping on sidewalk cracks? Then you may have want to wield your superstitions as secret weapons to rule the business world. While you probably shouldn’t spend hours shopping for good luck charms on Amazon instead of practicing your upcoming speech, research does show that “activating good luck beliefs” can boost men and women’s self-confidence. So if you have a pair of lucky socks or a rabbit’s foot keychain, it can’t hurt to add those accents to your power suit!
READ MORE: Why Bringing Your ‘B Game’ to Work Could be the Best Career Move You Ever Make
