Would you like to be confident? Your answer may be - yes; I do want to be confident. However, this answer lacks the impact. It is too generalized. Just like everybody wants to do well in life and be rich but not many ever realize this wish. This is because to actually get somewhere in life, you need to quantify your confidence. You need to define the task for which you need to be confident so that you can execute it successfully. A mere wish to be confident won’t take you anywhere. The dream must have a deadline as well!

Self Confidence might mean different things to different people groups. For a child it might mean to be able to recite the poem to her teacher the next morning. For a business executive it might mean to be able to present the business report to the Board of Directors. For a salaried person it may be the ability to be able to make a switch over from his secure job to a new independent venture and so on. To execute their respective tasks, these people need a certain level of confidence, which would see them through. Every task requires a minimum level of confidence to be able to be executed. Do you have a task in your mind to be done? Do you have the level of confidence required? Let us check it out!

Following is a simple questionnaire. You have to answer to these in a YES or NO

1.Does it happen too often with you that you cannot take a decision all by yourself and you seem to look for your colleagues, friends, or your spouse to sort the matter for you?
2.Do you always seem to be in perpetual need of a support system wherein you can feel secure?
3.Do you just sit and listen all the times in your office meetings?
4.Do you feel difficulty in reporting a matter to your boss or you have an excellent idea that can improve your company’s efficiency but you cannot muster enough courage to go and talk about it to your Boss?
5.Are you terrified to meet someone new? Is public speaking your worst nightmare?
6.Do you timidly accept orders from your superior even though you know that you are already overloaded and you need to say no?
7.Are you excessively concerned about what other people think of you?
8.Do you fear taking risks?
9.Do you feel dissatisfied about your appearance?
10.Are you uncomfortable in social gatherings – being amongst lots of people?

If you happen to answer these questions with a Yes, you seem to have a confidence crisis that might become an obstacle in successfully executing your tasks. Don’t Panic, as it is good that you found out since now you are aware of a potential problem of your life. The very fact that you are aware of your confidence rating makes you ready to take further action and work towards eliminating the negative effects of low confidence levels and work towards building your self confidence.

Here are some more questions you may answer.

1.Have you accomplished anything in the past?
2.Are you the one to go ahead and break the ice at a new place or wait for someone else to initiate a discussion?
3.Do you feel you are well respected by others?
4.Do you think you have the potential to succeed?
5.Are you a happy and loving person?
6.Are you satisfied with your career graph?
7.Are you satisfied with your skills and qualifications?
8.Do you feel in control of your life?
9.Do you imagine yourself to be more successful five years from now?
10.Do you feel that you are a worthwhile person?

If you happen to answer most of these questions with a NO, you have LOW self-confidence levels.

However, a YES is never decisive and a NO is never final. One needs to constantly maintain the good points and work towards converting bad points into good points. And the good news is that it is very much possible. It’s important that you honestly answer the questions above, since only when you realize the present status of your self-confidence would you be working towards building self-confidence or maintaining and increasing your present levels.

Group therapy has proven to be effective in mental health. While some counselor will start out with one on one therapy, they may finally refer the patient to group sessions. Many services and support groups available offer help to those with mental health problems. Group therapy allows the patients to freely discuss their issues, problems, and even find social influences that share the same symptoms or similar symptoms. When two or more people are together and can relate to each other, this is often more effective than one on one sessions…Group therapy sessions allows the patients to meet once or twice each week, meeting many others that share common illnesses, thus promoting association. If a person is suffering and has difficult to meet in public places, or even go grocery shopping this is a great source for healing. Some people with mental illnesses often avoid socializing simply because they feel that other people do not understand and it is embarrassing for them to go in public when they are at risk of erupting from their diagnose. Triggers are often what cause a mental ill individual to suffer interruptions, and many times people care less about what may trigger another individual. It is important to get help when you have a mental illness, yet it is also important to work through the problems on your own if possible. If you use self-talk strategies, it can help with your mental health issues. Another great form of therapy is writing your problems on paper. This is great since if you put all the details of your interruptions on paper your counselor can help you find out the cause and work toward a resolve. Other great strategy for dealing with mental health is to avoid isolation. This is where group therapy comes in to play. Since you are around others, you will be able to communicate. Communication is an excellent source for healing. Another great source for healing is education. If you are in a group therapy session, you are teaching more about you disability as well as learning about how others suffer similar symptoms as yourself. This prevents you from feeling alone. Group therapy is also great since it gives you the ability to get out of the house. Think of it as an activity or a social entertaining experience. The entertainment will be seen once you sit down, relax and start sharing your problems with others. Most people when you tell them I am suffering from my diagnose, symptoms including the inability to concentrate; most people will say, ‘oh, I understand this. I too have difficulties concentrating.’ Well, what do you do to make matters better? You may ask. The other person may tell you what he or she does to work toward concentrating, and you may see somewhere in the conversation a strategy that can work for you. It becomes entertainment since you found a source of happiness within. Group therapy is great for many individuals, but there are some disorders where group therapy should be avoided at all costs. Although counselors have set up group meetings for such disabilities, it often proves troublesome rather than helpful. One example is MPD patients, or Multiple Personality Disorder. These patients are very distinct and have triggers that interrupt the diagnose more so than other types of mental illnesses. Mental illness is tricky and often difficult to understand, but in most all cases, there is a solution to dealing with the diagnoses. It is important to pay close attention if you are joining a group session. When you pay attention, you receive the benefits of hearing all about others and how they suffer too. You also get the benefit of possible learning something about yourself. When you learn who you are, you are growing to development, which is the element required for better mental health. Finally, many that suffer mental illnesses often lack development. There was something in their lifetime that was not provided to them to help them grow. If a person is now growing in accordance to human standards, then that person often jumps track somewhere along the way. Mental health and group sessions then, is a great solution for growing.

One method of alternative treatment for migraines that is increasing in popularity is biofeedback.

Biofeedback is basically a way for a person to learn control over body a function. Functions that include muscle tension and even levels of hormones in the blood have a direct influence upon headaches. By using biofeedback techniques, information concerning these functions are supplied to the person undergoing the technique.

A biofeedback session begins with a technician attaching your body via wires to a computer that will monitor such things as heart rate, brain waves, pulse, muscle activities, perspiration and skin temperature. The readings of these monitors will be presented as sounds or as video images. There are basically two goals involved in biofeedback. Making yourself more attuned with how you feel when your body is undergoing a variety of physical changes, for instance, changes in blood pressure, and secondly, teaching you how to adjust your physical responses so that you can effectively avoid problems associated with them, such as migraines. The biofeedback sessions typically last from thirty to sixty minutes, whereas the actual number of sessions you will need depend greatly upon your condition as well as the progress you make. Regardless of how well you respond, it is best not to exceed fifteen sessions. The final step involved in biofeedback technique is fully understanding what you have learned and then effectively applying it to you lifestyle without the benefit of the biofeedback machines.

Not all biofeedback is alike. Indeed there are a variety of methods and the one you choose will be dependent upon your individual needs.

Electromyogram (EMG). An EMG uses electrodes or other types of sensors to measure muscle tension. By alerting you to muscle tension, you can learn to recognize the feeling early on and try to control the tension right away. EMG is mainly used to promote the relaxation of those muscles involved in backaches, headaches, neck pain and grinding your teeth. An EMG may be used to treat some illnesses whose symptoms tend to worsen under stress, such as asthma and ulcers.

Temperature biofeedback. Sensors attached to your fingers or feet measure your skin temperature. Because your temperature often drops when you're under stress, a low reading can prompt you to begin relaxation techniques. Temperature biofeedback can help treat certain circulatory disorders, such as Reynaud's disease, or reduce the frequency of migraines.

Galvanic skin response training. Sensors measure the activity of your sweat glands and the amount of perspiration on your skin, alerting you to anxiety. This information can be useful in treating emotional disorders such as phobias, anxiety and stuttering.

Electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG monitors the activity of brain waves linked to different mental states, such as wakefulness, relaxation, calmness, light sleep and deep sleep.

Biofeedback has proven an effective method for many seeking alternative, non-traditional, non-medicated relief from migraine. There are several appealing factors at play in choosing to undergo biofeedback. For one thing, if successful if you reduce and possibly eliminate your dependence upon drugs. For those who don’t respond to medication, it potentially can help your situation significantly. Once you begin biofeedback you may get the extra-added appeal of feeling as if you have genuine control over your disease. And, last but hardly least, it could seriously curtail your medical expenses.

However, like all other treatments, there are some drawbacks. For instance, if you are one of those anal-retentive types who have to know how something works instead on relying on the fact that it does work, you should know that experts aren’t completely certain of the why when it comes to biofeedback. Many people who are consistently successful at using it to fend of a variety of health problems are totally ignorant of how they do it; all they can tell you is that their symptoms have subsided with the help of this technique where they didn’t subside with any other.

Although biofeedback is considered to one of the safer methods of migraine treatment, it is still recommended that you discuss it with a doctor who is knowledgeable about the technique. You should also be aware that biofeedback has been known to interfere with the use of some medications, such as insulin.

Public speaking can be a rewarding experience that allows individuals to showcase their skills or knowledge in a public forum. Public speaking opportunities can allow an individual to help enrich the lives of anyone in the audience by impressing experiences or information that can have life changing qualities. That being said, many individuals suffer extreme shyness or nervousness when faced with public speaking situations. These situations can range from large audiences of hundreds or thousands of participants to rooms with a few people present. Regardless of the situation, ensuring you have the proper level of public speaking self confidence will aid you remarkably in this foray.

When it comes to public speaking, possessing self confidence is a must. If you find your self confidence low or nonexistent, the best way to boost it up is to practice, practice, practice. Individuals with high self confidence have an ingrained sense that they can handle any and all situations, regardless who is watching or listening. These individuals are well versed in their specific subject matter and have a good idea of how they are going to present the information so that the audience will have the greatest understanding. Additionally, these individuals are capable of fielding questions on their particular subject and can explain the topic on several different levels. If you find yourself unable to do this, begin preparing for your public speaking opportunity at once. Ensure your knowledge in the topic is high and seek out to learn as much as you can. This knowledge will help you indefinitely in both planning your speech and delivering the speech to an audience of individuals who may or may not be familiar with it. Furthermore, in depth knowledge of your subject will aid you immensely when dealing with question and answer sessions that most likely will follow any public speaking opportunity. If necessary, ask other individuals about your topic and be able to explain the topic to individuals of all levels.

When writing your speech, take care to analyze your audience. If you are speaking to individuals who have a great understanding of the topic, you can clearly use a more in depth approach, more acronyms, and more jargon than if speaking to an audience unfamiliar with the subject. Furthermore, know the average age and educational extent of your audience in order to create a speech that will speak directly to these individuals. After you have written your speech, being making notes and prompts to that use can use when giving your speech in public. Knowing your speech is written to the best of your ability will boost your self confidence, as will having the necessary notes and prompts that you can rely on while giving your speech.

When preparing for your speech, take care to not memorize the content. This may seem like a good idea, but can lead to disasterous results. If you find yourself to be nervous before you present any project or speech to a public audience, you might forget the content of your speech and be forced to pull it together from memory. Additionally, if you leave out a specific idea or topic from your speech, your audience may not clearly understand the topic of point of your presentation. The best way to prepare for your speech is to make notes that allow cues or special points you should make in your speech. Have a general idea of what you plan to say and ensure the content covers these points. Also, have any visual materials carefully arranged in the order of presentation so that you will remember to include all items seamlessly in your presentation. Public speaking should not produce a crisis, and ensuring your self confidence is high in yourself and your capabilities will make all the difference in the quality of your presentation.

When substance abuse is in existing then we are dealing with a mind that is shackled with anger. A person with an alcohol or drug problem often feels that the world has let them down. A person with alcohol or drug abuse often has difficult dealing with their emotions, anger and stress. When the person feels stress, they will often head to the liquor store or the nearby drug dealer for a fix. This is a temporary answer to the problem that adds more problems to the existing issues. Therefore, finding a more productive method for dealing with stress, emotions and anger is advisable. If you resort to alcohol or drugs for relief, you might want to realize that the world has more to offer you. Mental health services can go a long way since your problem is not directly the alcohol or drugs but an underlying source exists that links to the real problem. You probably lived a life and lacked development in your growth. You may even lack educational knowledge that helps you to see things in full light. You might even have a mental illness that is hindering your from living a productive lifestyle. We see then that alcohol and drugs is just another problem you added to problems already in existence. If you use your resources, you might see that doctors have medications that can help you to cope with stress or mental illnesses. You might even see that there are resources available, such as anger management, help groups, and so forth that can help you find a much more effective way to deal with your anger and stress. If you feel like the world is resting on your shoulders, then you might want to review your problems carefully. In many instances, a person has added problems to their life and is the root of their own behavioral issues. You will probably see that alcohol and drugs is playing a large part in how you behave in society. Alcohol usually makes us express our emotions freely without preservation. This opens us up to evil, since our perceptions, sound, and words are affected. This means you may misinterpret someone talking to you, flare up with anger, and possibly engage in a fight. Never take life for granted. If you believe that alcohol and drugs is the answer to your problems then you are on the road to destruction. Life is filled with problems and we all have to face them every single day. It is how you deal with the problems that enhance your success and coping abilities. If you have difficulty managing stress then you might want to review the triggers that ignite your emotions. For example, if you are visiting associations that adhere to negative living then you can see that new friends are needed. In fact, you will see that the association is not friends anyway. A good friend will not allow you to drive and drink, or take you to a bar if you already had too much to drink. A good friend will tell you to your face when you are doing something wrong and try to help you find a way to stop. Alcohol and drugs only increase your chances of exploding when your emotions are threatened. You might have probable cause to strike out, but in most cases, you do not have cause at all. I hope that this helps you to see that alcohol and drugs only increase anger’s chances of opening up and extending your problems. If you are an abuser then your path is marked, since if you are caught drinking and driving you will have more problems that what you already had. If you are taking drugs then you know that someday the police will knock on your door and ask you to step outside. Once those handcuffs go on, alcohol, drugs will be removed from the picture, and more problems will lead you to overwhelming stress, meaning you are adding something to what you could not face in the first place. There are people that care whether you can see it or not. You are not alone!