ACTSHEON™: Bounce Back After a Confidence Crisis at Work

We’ve all been there—gut-punch moments that shake our confidence: missed opportunities, sharp feedback, public stumbles. Confidence crises don’t send calendar invites. 

They show up unannounced—after a meeting where you fumbled your words, when you get blindsided by unexpected feedback, or when you’re scrolling LinkedIn and suddenly comparing your every move to someone else's highlight reel. One minute you’re moving purposefully; the next, you’re questioning everything. You feel it in your chest, face, and gut. 

Suddenly, your confidence isn’t just cracked—it feels crushed. 

It happens to the best of us.

Yes, even the driven ones. The high-achievers. The ones with degrees, certifications, and leadership titles. 

The good news? Just because your confidence took a hit doesn't mean it's gone. You haven’t lost your power—it’s just taken a hit. 

If you’ve ever found yourself replaying a mistake on a mental loop, wondering if your reputation just crumbled, you’re not alone. A confidence crisis doesn’t define you—but how you bounce back from it absolutely will. 

Let me show you why I don’t just teach this—I lived it. 

When Life Piled On—and I Fell Short 

While serving in the military, I found myself in a season where everything collided. Within three months, I moved for a new assignment, re-entered a career field I hadn’t worked in for four years, and was suddenly responsible for the largest team. For 31 days, my family was living in a hotel waiting for our new home to be completed—delayed by constant rain. I was also juggling motherhood, trying to expand our family, and I was a full-time student. 

In the midst of it all, I had to take a physical training (PT) test. 

For the first time in my career, I failed. 

As a newly promoted senior leader, the weight of the failure pressed down on me. A suffocating blanket of responsibility and guilt. No one else knew—but I felt the silent weight of a thousand eyes. The pressure didn’t shout—it smothered in silence. I was humiliated, exhausted, and quietly unraveling. 

And yet, what saved me wasn’t overcompensating or masking the moment with perfectionism. 

What helped me recover was the radical, freeing realization that I’m not Wonder Woman. I’m not a comic book character with infinite stamina and zero flaws. I’m a woman. A human. And so are you. 

So if you’ve hit a wall, if your confidence has taken a nosedive, let me offer you something real: 

10 Ways to Bounce Back from a Confidence Crisis 

These aren’t fluff strategies. They’re the ones I’ve lived. The ones I teach. The ones that work when you’re tired, triggered, and trying to recover without losing yourself. 

1. Name What Happened—Without Judging Yourself 

Stop pretending. We avoid naming our painful moments because we’re scared it makes them more real. Yet, the only thing worse than a mistake is burying it under shame. Say it plainly. 

• “I failed the PT test. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and unprepared. That doesn’t make me weak—it makes me human.” 

When your confidence gets shaken, your body knows before your brain does. You feel it in the tightness in your chest, the sudden silence in your spirit, or that stomach-dropping moment when someone questions your competence and you don’t know how to respond. 

It hurts. So let’s call it what it is. 

But here’s what you won’t do:

• You won’t gaslight yourself into thinking you’re overreacting.
• You won’t dismiss the internal ping-pong match between “I’m fine” and “What if I’m not good enough?”
• And you won’t shove it down and just keep grinding. 

You’re allowed to feel disappointed. You’re allowed to be shaken. But don’t stay there. That’s not your home. 

That’s your checkpoint. 

2. Confidence Crashes Aren’t Failures—They’re Flashlights 

What’s the story you’re telling yourself about this moment? “I’m not capable”? “They’ll never trust me again.” Stop. That’s pain talking. 

Instead, speak from a place of power. 

• “This doesn’t mean I’m not qualified. It means I’m in process. And I can learn, adjust, and lead stronger because of it.” 

You get to be both the main character and the narrator. Don’t write yourself out of your own story. A confidence crisis isn’t evidence that you’re weak. It’s evidence that you’re still growing. 

It’s a signal. 

A flashlight illuminating something you’re being called to see. 

That meeting where your mind went blank? Maybe it’s time to strengthen your speaking skills or rethink how you prepare. That negative feedback? Maybe it stung because it touched something you already doubted. That moment you felt invisible in a meeting? Maybe you’ve been shrinking more than you realized. 

This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness with compassion.

When you stop judging the crash and start mining it for meaning, that’s when the bounce-back begins. 

3. Ask Yourself One Game-Changing Question 

When your confidence is low, the volume of the world seems deafening. Social media, comparison, unsolicited advice, your own mental chatter—it gets LOUD. 

Mute it. Listen to yourself. You don’t need more opinions—you need space. 

No scrolling. No comparing. Make time for just you and the quiet to hear your own thoughts without other people’s commentary. 

Ask yourself:

“What’s still true about me—no matter what just happened?” 

Then answer it like your future depends on it. Because it does. 

What’s still true about you even when the room didn’t clap?
Even when you didn’t know the answer?
Even when your voice shook?
Even when you didn’t get the promotion? 

Maybe what’s still true is:

• You’re still the woman who shows up early and stays prepared.
• You’re still committed to excellence even when it’s hard.
• You’re still passionate, capable, and learning.
• You’re still a leader, even if someone else doesn’t recognize it yet. 

Get grounded in those truths. Because they are your anchor, not the moment that tried to rattle you. 

4. Don’t Hide—Get Visible on Your Own Terms 

When I failed that test, the first thing I did wasn’t a 10-mile run. I took a break. I rested. I cried. Then I set a time to talk to my supervisor—not to explain, but to own it. That was my first move. 

A confidence crash has a sneaky way of convincing you to disappear.

Skip the email. Stay quiet in meetings. Dodge the opportunity. Shrink just enough to be missed.
“Play it safe until the sting fades,” it whispers. But that’s the trap. 

The comeback requires you to reclaim your visibility. 

Start small:

• Volunteer to lead part of the next meeting.
• Speak up in a space where your voice normally stays quiet.
• Share a win or a lesson learned with your team.
• Say “thank you” when someone compliments your work, instead of deflecting it. 

You’re not being “too much.” You’re reminding the room—and yourself—of who you are. 

5. Phone a Truth-Teller, Not a Cheerleader 

You don’t need someone to tell you, “It’s not that bad.” Don’t call the ones who’ll just tell you, “You’re amazing” (though we love them too). Call the ones who remind you with receipts. 

This isn’t the moment to go it alone.

Let me say that again for the over-functioning, high-performing, recovering perfectionists in the back: 

You don’t have to bounce back by yourself. 

Phone the friend or text the mentor who’s seen you lead. Heard you speak the truth. Watched you rise. 

You need someone who knows your body of work, your character, your fire—and can remind you of who you are when you forget. So, find that person. Call them. Let them remind you of your receipts, not your regrets. 

Sometimes you don’t need more advice—you just need to be seen by someone who already knows your brilliance and isn’t afraid to reflect it back to you when you need it most. 

6. Rebuild—Not Resume 

Don’t let the mistake become your compass—let it be your mirror. 

This isn’t about returning to “business as usual.” 

No. 

You’re building something better now:

• A new level of confidence grounded in truth, not performance.
• A wiser voice that speaks even when it shakes.
• A version of you that doesn’t need a perfect record to feel powerful. 

Start by setting one small goal that puts you back in alignment.

Not to impress anyone. Not to “bounce back faster.” But because the woman you’re becoming requires it. 

Maybe it’s joining a speaker’s group. Maybe it’s finally launching that project. Maybe it’s walking into the next meeting like you’re running it. Just choose something that stretches you, affirms you, and honors who you are becoming. 

Every setback is a teacher, but don’t let it become your compass. 

That failed PT test taught me I had said “yes” too much. I was trying to prove something that had already been established—I was capable. Yet, I stretched myself too thin and poured from fumes. 

Allow your setbacks to guide needed adjustments, not define your worth. 

7. Your Confidence Isn’t Fragile—It’s Evolving 

If nobody told you yet, let me be the first:

Confidence isn’t some magical trait you’re born with or without.

It’s built. Over time. Through setbacks. Through persistence. 

Through exactly the kind of uncomfortable moments you have and will continue to experience. 

You’re not broken. You’re being reshaped. 

Like a diamond under pressure. Like a warrior training in the dark. Like a leader leveling up—quietly, fiercely, intentionally. This isn’t the end of your story. It’s a plot twist.

And Sis, we both know you’re powerful—strong enough to overcome any obstacle. 

8. Brag About Yourself, to Yourself 

Revisit your wins, loudly and often. 

Your brain is trying to convince you that this one mistake erases everything you’ve done right. That’s a LIE. 

Pull out your receipts. Create a brag file. List your wins. 

• “I’ve led high-stakes meetings. I have a proven track record of delivering quality work, even amidst the stress and demands of tight deadlines. I’ve overcome challenges that tested my limits, emerging stronger and more resilient. This misstep doesn’t erase any of that.” 

This is not ego. It’s evidence. 

9. Place One Foot in Front of the Other 

Let’s not just talk about bouncing back—let’s actually do it.

Here’s your 5-day reset plan: 

• Day 1: Journal your trigger moment and what’s still true about you.
• Day 2: Text or call someone who can reflect your power to you.
• Day 3: Speak up in one space you normally shrink in.
• Day 4: Revisit a past win and document the skills it took to make it happen.
• Day 5: Set one visibility goal for the week ahead. 

You don’t need a massive transformation. Just momentum.

One brave, soul-aligned step at a time. 

10. Rebuild With Ritual, Not Reaction 

Your confidence didn’t walk away from you. It just got buried under noise, comparison, and a little bit of fear. But you?

You’re still her.

The woman with vision. With strength. With impact. 

You don’t need to bounce back into who you were. You get to bounce forward into who you’re becoming. 

Confidence is rebuilt through rhythm. Consider creating a morning routine or nighttime ritual that reminds you of who you are. This could be a prayer, an affirmation, journaling, or a voice memo to your future self. 

This isn’t about performance. It’s about presence. 

What I Know for Sure 

Your bounce-back can be someone else’s blueprint. Just like this evergreen blog post is here to support you, your missteps can become the testimony that helps someone else rise along their leadership journey. 

Your confidence isn’t broken, it’s being rebuilt. 

That failed PT test? It didn’t take me out. I led massive teams after that. I received career-defining recognition. I coached other leaders through crises, transitions, and moments just like mine. I didn’t bury the moment, but I also didn’t let it bury me. 

And neither should you. 

You're allowed to feel the sting of failure. But don’t fight to stay there either. You can take one of these 10 tools—just one—and use it to start building again. Layer by layer. Step by step. 

The bounce-back doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. 

Your ACTSHEON™ Challenge

Own your truth. Speak the reframe. Call your truth-teller. Say the affirmation. Teach the lesson. 

Your leadership was never about being flawless. 

It was always about being faithful to your growth. 

And that? That’s exactly what you’re doing.