Everyone has those days (not to be quoting the great Hannah Montana) at work where you just don’t feel great. Or confident. And tbh, that’s normal. That feeling is normal, believe me. I started my first big girl job a few years ago and while I think I have it down most days, I sometimes feel like an imposter and not so great about myself.

But being confident at work can mean so much more than just straighter posture and a positive energy. Being more confident at work allows you to have a more positive energy outlook, which directly affects how people see you. When you’re more positive at work, people are more likely to come to you for a project — which will come in handy for your next performance review.

Here are some tips to be more confident at work. (Some of these are so easy!) As a further resource, here is an article from Indeed.com about how to be more confident at work.

Dress for success.

While we all love to dress casual (if I could, I’d wear leggings and a hoodie while I wfh), dressing for success will automatically boost your confidence. It’s not like formal dress attire will make you look presentable to supervisors, but rather, you’ll feel more put together, polished, and eager to get the job done.

Set goals for yourself.

Here’s an easy tip: set goals at the beginning and end of each week. These can be (and should be) both short-term and long-term, meaning you write down goals you want to accomplish the next week, next month, and next six months. (And year, if you want to be so bold.) Know what you want in the future, near or far. It’s important to know what you want so you remember what you’re doing all of this for.

Focus on your strengths.

It’s SO easy to compare yourself at work; believe me, I’ve done this. But when you find yourself comparing yourself to others, especially colleagues, remember your strengths. (Bonus: it helps to have these written down!)

Ask questions.

When you ask questions, you automatically look more confident. It sounds weird, but believe me. It can be hard to ask questions, but when you ask questions, it shows that you are confident in the job that you can do. It shows that you are dedicated to getting the job done and doing the job well.

Eliminate negative self-talk or complaining.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s important that you remain a positive energy at the office. (Sometimes we all have those bad days! And that’s okay!) A part of being that positive energy is to not complain. I get it, we all want to complain about something — but try not to be that person at the office who is always complaining. If something needs to be fixed, then be the solution-oriented person that always brings a solution. In addition to not complaining, try to avoid negative self-talk. When you make a mistake (we all do!), avoid climbing under your desk and crying (we’ve all been there). Allow yourself to be sad (and maybe cry, nbd), and then shake it off. Learn from the mistake that you made and get back to work. Work hard and don’t give up.

Be Persistent.

Don’t give up. We all have those days where we don’t feel confident or we made too many mistakes. But keep learning, keep growing, and keep working hard. Your supervisor will notice your work ethic.