Hamburg - (dpa) - The working day can be very enjoyable, especially for those with a high level of training, who know their stuff and get on well with others. In other words, they are the ideal conditions for success.

However, there are many who doubt themselves at work and criticize themselves a lot by thinking things like: “I am not good enough”, or “Am I even capable of doing this?”.

Women are very critical of themselves at work

"It is often women who suffer from a lack of self-confidence in their jobs," says career counselor Hane Bergen. For example, the "International University of Applied Sciences" in Bad Honnef, Bonn, found through a study conducted in 2017 (in German) that women consider the strengths they have in their careers to be much less than the strengths of those around them.

According to the study, it is possible for men to criticize themselves strongly as well, but to a much lesser extent than women. And there can be very different reasons for lack of self-confidence on the job. It may be that those who are self-critical suddenly face new tasks for which they do not have sufficient experience.

"In such cases, some self-doubt is normal," says career counselor Ragnild Strauss. "However, very often a lack of self-confidence stems from a lack of self-respect."

This is often associated with unrealistic expectations of oneself, says Strauss. Because even if a particular task presents a challenge, with a consistent level of self-esteem, one can confidently see something new as an opportunity for development. However, if one is feeling insecure, the focus is more on the fear of failure.

People who seek perfection tend to lack self-confidence

If you are the type of person who makes their self-esteem depend too much on the positive opinions of others, you will quickly become insecure when you do not get anything from others. "In such cases, it is often helpful to simply ask others for opinions on the work you have done," advises career counselor Bergen.

It is also important to have a positive self-image. In order to achieve this end, one must ask oneself: What am I achieving through my work, and what is the final product of my work? One might also assure oneself that not everything has to be perfect all the time, and that it should be done as quickly as possible.

Writing things down helps one overcome self-doubt

Career counselor Strauss recommends doing a realistic analysis of the situation and writing it all down. For example, one can write down the tasks in which he or she feels insecure, and then describe those tasks. What does it consist of, what skills are required?

Then one must ask himself why he thinks he is not up to the task. Does he really lack the necessary skills? Am I afraid that I will not be able to finish the task in the required time? "Once someone knows why they are feeling insecure, then they can start to act," says Strauss.
This could include, for example, acquiring certain technical skills, having a conversation with one's team leader about one's workload, or dealing with concerns in a therapeutic way.

How to avoid a lack of self-confidence in the long run

It is important to constantly take care of oneself in order to control a lack of self-confidence at work in the long run. “One might regularly write down two or three situations in which they did particularly well,” Bergen recommends. If a lack of self-confidence appears, one may simply read what he has written to boost his self-confidence.