Can self-efficacy help us be more successful and be more resilient to stress?
Posted by: Uticopa in self help, mental health on Jun 29, 2008
People with robust self-efficacy can face difficulties with vigour and energy and have a ‘have a go’, ‘’try again’ spirit. Yet, what helps to develop this quality and why some people seem to have a much higher self-efficacy than others?
Self-efficacy stems from our life experience and from the examples of behaviour that we see in others – our role models. It is something that we develop over the years by tackling life’s problems with persistence, determination and suppleness.
It has been proven by research that we can control our levels of self-efficacy by using some of these techniques:
Set yourself a reasonable goal. You can’t build up you self-efficacy without succeeding at things and you can’t achieve success without setting the goals in the first place. Set yourself a clear goal and when you succeed, make sure you acknowledge your achievement. Try to set goals that are demanding and challenging but at the same time realistic enough for you to reach them.
Look for an excellent example. Having a role model does not require you to know them personally, it can be anyone who inspires you to do greater things, someone who has achieved excellence or mastered their field.
Build yourself up by talking positively. Don’t be critical of every fault, instead give yourself credit and prise your successes (however small).
Get fit and make sure you really want something – you have to remember that in order to succeed you need energy and determination. A boxer knows that in order to succeed, he needs to want to win and have to invest hours of practice and training to achieve his goal. If you are fit you have the energy and all you need is a desire to make something happen.
