Being Yourself Versus Selling Yourself

Aim for your personal best

You don't have to be the best. Aim to develop and grow so that you are better tomorrow than you were today. People do that in different ways and at a different pace.

Feeling confident about your achievements

Keep a confidence list so that you know what your own personal good qualities and achievements are. It's good to have them to hand for job applications and interviews. Especially when you are feeling low, it helps to have a reminder.

Knowing your skills and strengths

You can use the SWOT activity worksheet to keep a note of your strengths, weaknesses, potential opportunities and barriers to what you want to achieve. It helps you be realistic AND ambitious in a way that matches your state of mind and situation.

Trying matters more than perfection

You don't have to be perfect and do everything. It is less stressful and more useful to picture yourself taking small steps forward in life.

Create realistic SMART goals

You can set yourself SMART goals. These are achievable goals you can work towards. If you have big goals that seem impossible, you can use SMART goals to break them down into small achievable steps. If you don't have any goals yet, SMART goals can help you think of something positive you can start working towards. It always helps to feel like you are taking control.

Why is trying your best better than perfect?

• Employers don't expect you to be perfect. They want to know you are ready to try.
• When you try new things, you can discover new skills, strengths and experiences you might not have thought about before.
• When you try, you can practise and get better at doing something new over time until it feels familiar.
• When you try, you don't put pressure on yourself to be perfect.
• When you try, you can do work that helps your team mates and other people in your organisation. Sometimes it feels good to help others and it can boost your feelings of self-belief.
• Trying new things can be enjoyable and help your personal confidence.

Ready to work with your energy levels

To work well with your own personal energy levels, it helps to balance any responsibilities you have with self-care. Self-care means looking after your feelings, energy and all-over health. Reponsibilities are tasks you have set yourself, whether they are to do with looking for work or growing as a person and a team member while at work.

Flexible working

When applying for jobs, look for employers that offer flexible or part-time working - or even working from home options. For example, McDonald's offer flexible working that is perfect for working parents, people coming out of retirement or people who want to balance their work/life energy levels.

Honest communication

Honest communication is very important to both you and your future or current employer. It helps them to help you when your energy levels are not at full power, because mental health can affect your energy levels.

If you have mental health concerns, raising them with your employer is up to you. It is a big step and a decision you could choose to make after talking to someone who understands what's involved. Large organisations tend to have HR guidelines for extra support you can get at work with mental health.

In job applications, always accentuate the positive when it comes to your strengths and achievements, but do not lie on your CV. Falsely pretending to be perfect can have a negative effect on your stress levels and personal confidence in the long run. It is better to think of how you overcame weaknesses or challenges in your studies, work experience, and employment. This is more honest, and shows off your valuable skills and strengths to employers. In fact, they may ask you to answer how you have overcome weaknesses or tough situations in your job interview!

It's okay to ask for extra help. If you are currently in work, think about how your lower energy levels or mood might be affecting your work. Are you making mistakes, or putting off tasks, or struggling with timekeeping? If so, you could quickly communicate with your line manager. You don't have to tell them how you are feeling if you don't feel ready to. But you can let them know quickly that you are struggling. That means they can give you space if you need it, or more support that will help you progress. The work will still get done, because the line-manager knows what is happening and can make changes to team tasks as needed. But they can only help you if they know you are struggling with something.

Explore what boosts your energy levels

Is it thinking about something new, or maybe trying to do something new? Are your energy levels more positively affected by routine, variety, or a bit of both? Do you feel more energised when you have played to your strengths, or done something well, or had a break to recharge? Does your energy rise when you have completed an activity on your to-do list, or made steps towards something you were putting off? Get to know how you can raise your energy levels as part of your everyday routine.

Do something kind for yourself every day

Hydration, nutrition and rest are the basics that every body and mind needs to feel its best.

When it comes to recharging, do what works for you. A relaxing bath or shower can soothe the senses and help reduce worry. Entertainment can give you enjoyment and something else to think about. Social time with others or luxury time alone can both be forms of self-care. Looking for work or being in work can both take effort, so make sure you do a little of what makes you feel good every day to get a balance between work, rest and play.

Every day, make some time to treat yourself like you would treat a friend in need. You deserve it.

Ready to learn from mistakes

Learning from mistakes is a valuable skill. Everyone makes mistakes. We all make mistakes in a new job, it's part of learning new skills and ways of doing things.

• 5 star chefs have to make mistakes in order to discover new flavour combinations.
• Record artists have to make mistakes and practice before they can record an album.
• We are not born knowing how to do everything. Practice makes perfect.

Employers expect you to make mistakes. To maintain your wellbeing, do not worry about making mistakes. It is more important to feel positive about learning from mistakes. Every time you make a mistake, see it as a way to get better and learn something new.

To help both you an employer, if you can see you have made a mistake, tell your line manager or a team mate. They are more experienced and can help you find the solution. You will grow your skills, and they will be pleased that you have good teamwork skills and communication skills that you can apply to learning new things.

Think about a time when you learned from your mistakes. This a question you may be asked in job interviews.

Play to your strengths

You have skills. You are good at the things you do well. And it can boost your mood to play to your strengths.

Working with your confidence levels

Read up on ways to explore building your personal confidence. It is important to recognise your strengths and value them.

Recognise what you are good at and where you can improve. This SWOT worksheet can help you pinpoint your strengths and ways to become stronger in areas you want to improve.

Enjoy what comes easily to you

We all have different strengths. Build your skills over time, and if you are naturally strong in some areas, whether it's communication or problem solving, look for ways to use your skills and enjoy them. You can do this while in work, or when approaching activities like finding a job. This goes for hobbies and pastimes you enjoy, too.

When you know what your strengths are, you can help them shine in job applications and interviews. You can also take on work that you will enjoy and do well in, which can help your self-esteem.

Willing to learn new things

Struggling with mental health can lead to feeling anxious about trying new things, but it is a step in the right direction to try.

The benefits

Learning new things can boost your self-esteem because it can help you find and explore a wider range of things you enjoy and are good at.

Learning new things can give you more options for your next steps in life, which can help you feel more in control.

When you learn new things, making mistakes can be a positive experience. Every time you make a mistake, you learn from it and discover something new. Making mistakes is a natural part of the process and means you are getting better over time!

If you are feeling stuck or in a rut, learning new things can help you see things in a positive new light.

Being willing to learn new things is a skill.

It is an important part of growing your self-belief skills. Whenever you get a job, you will be learning new things as part of your training. We are all learning something new at every stage of life, because learning never stops. Employers will appreciate your ability to see learning as a positive experience.