I recently interviewed Val McFarlane, a professional counsellor and director from the Bullying Intervention Group, about confidence. If you are looking for 2021 Confidence Tips, watch the video on YouTube and find out some simple ways to make your life a little easier.
Here are some highlights from the interview with Val McFarlane. If you would like to watch the full video, you can find it further down the article.
Bullying Affects Confidence In Young Adults
It was interesting but also sad listening to Val, as she explained that many children and young adults are affected by bullying. There is so much pressure for children to “fit in” that their confidence levels can slide.
Bullying can knock their confidence and seems to be more common with girls.
Wearing A Mask – Confidence Tips 2021
2020 has made mask-wearing commonplace to help combat the virus, but there are other issues. Val highlighted that wearing a mask is “a double-edged sword”.
- It obviously helps to save lives but some people like to hide behind them if they are not feeling so confident.
- She also mentioned that it can be hard counselling somebody for the first time if they do not know what you look like. So she gives them a sneak peek of her face (socially distanced of course) to break down any barriers.
- Counselling involves reading facial expressions, just as much as listening to verbal communication. So mask-wearing can make things harder to assess, but she explains there are ways to tell when somebody smiles.
Fake It Till You Make It – Confidence Tips 2021
Val explains how you can change your posture to show confidence, even when you might not feel it inside. She gives an example of how a young boy was able to change how he presented himself to the world.
The Leslie Link Interview with Val McFarlane
It was lovely to speak with Val and find out some easy confidence tips. You can find out more about the Bullying Intervention Group on their website.
Here you can find more articles about confidence!
Sally Leslie is a motivational coach and optimist. She helps freelancers and entrepreneurs create balance in their lives and work towards their personal and professional goals. Sally is also a B2B freelance writer for entrepreneurs, SMEs, and startups. A lover of plants, freedom, and football!
