Keeping confidence over time

Confidence rises and falls with circumstances: a new university, a first job, a move abroad or a setback can knock it back, even after progress. That is normal and does not mean you have lost what you built. When it dips, return to what worked: read your evidence file, step back from the critic, climb a lower rung of your ladder, and talk to someone.

Keep a few simple habits going: a weekly evidence entry, one small stretch each month, and regular reflection on what you have learned. Notice that each new challenge you survive adds to the record.