An activity to help you become more confident
To kick off the first Dyslexia Discussed session of 2022, we decided to switch things up and do a mini-workshop about confidence! We invite you to try this exercise as well! Our community loved it and got a lot out of it!
The Exercise:
On a piece of paper write down the following:
“I didn’t __________ because ________”
The Why:
Writing down our successes and failures helps turn them into realities. We want to look at the past and reframe it. Reframing helps us adjust how we approach similar situations in the future. It is important to see how dyslexia is holding you back so you can find solutions to your problems rather than just giving up.
A few examples:
Statement: “I didn’t ask for a reasonable adjustment at work because I didn’t want to give them a reason to not hire me.”
New Narrative: “I should have asked for my reasonable adjustment because getting that adjustment makes me a better employee, allows me to perform the job better and it is important for my employer to see me as committed”.
Statement: “I lost money because I was overwhelmed by the refund process”
New Narrative: “I should have asked someone I trust to help me more through the refund process.”
Statement: “I didn’t apply to jobs where I would have to manage people because an old boss told me I was not responsible”
New Narrative: “I eventually got a job managing people and, it was the greatest experience. I found out I loved managing people.”
So, how does all of this deal with confidence? Well, confidence is a mindset. For those of us with dyslexic trauma shifting the perspective we have from I can’t/I didn’t to I can/I did is a huge struggle. The “I didn’t because” exercise will help you go from I can’t to I can!