7 Confidence-Killing Words & Phrases To Be Banned From Your Vocabulary

Confidence is a state where you know and understand yourself enough to put forth your thoughts and actions without being bothered or shot down by people around you. Yet, there are various situations that create a less than stellar performance in the confidence game. Many times, we end up behaving in a way that points to low confidence and self-esteem. While body language plays a huge role here, words and phrases also matter.

So what are the confidence killing words and phrases that you need to ban from your life? Take a look at this list:

1. Just: This single word can undermine your intentions and make things seem less casual than they actually are. Sometimes, we get intimidated by the person or the situation and end up down playing things by saying, I was just thinking about it like this.
2. I am no Expert: When you start a sentence by tearing yourself down, you are putting yourself up for rejection.
3. What if: While a 'what if' may be a good idea in particularly trying situations where you are faced with a person who may be in panic or anxiety, this is not a good phrase to use at work and in life, in general. It shows that you have not thought of the option properly.
4. I cannot: This single phrase can demolish relationships, both personal and professional within a matter of seconds. Nothing says you do not own your domain more than this phrase. When you say you can't or you cannot, you are effectively giving up and handing over control to someone else which is a downward spiral as far as your confidence goes.
5. Like, so: Unless you are starring in a chick flick, we would recommend that you stop using this fluffy and light weight phase, 'that is like, so cool'. Yes, it may be cool, but saying it is cool, will more than suffice. When you use phrases like these, you are basically telling the world that you do not take yourself seriously enough to talk like a serious person.
6. Exclamations: Using exclamations at the end of thanks or any other word, can show that you were not confident of getting the task done. Be grateful, but do not make it sound like relief.
7. Sense: 'Am I making sense' or nonsense are words that you need to send away from your vocabulary, as they denote a low sense of confidence and also show that you do not have confidence in the people around you. So get into a more confident mode by removing these seven words and phrases from your life.