Lacking confidence? Think positive to change

Job interview? Sales pitch? Big date? How you see the situation can affect how it goes.

Psychologists know that when you change how you perceive a challenging situation, how you present it to yourself, your performance can improve.

No need to feed yourself pep talk or lie to yourself, says Jessyca Arthur-Cameselle, psychologist and consultant at the Center for Performance Excellence at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. That doesn’t work.