Stop putting yourself down! Create a “brag folder” and open it when you’re low to rescue yourself from self-doubt
Go ahead and make one for yourself tonight~
Summary
- To handle career slumps and self-doubt, TIME magazine suggests creating a dedicated “brag folder” to store your personal achievements.
- In this folder, you can collect screenshots of praise from coworkers and clients, written positive feedback from managers, as well as project success metrics, certificates, and other milestones.
- Building a brag folder helps train your brain to refocus on your strengths, offering instant psychological support when you’re feeling overly fixated on wins and losses or dealing with anxiety.
Do you ever find yourself late at night, after work, repeatedly going over the little things you didn’t do well that day? Even when you receive recognition at work, impostor syndrome can still make you wonder, “Am I really that good?” To ease this invisible mental anxiety, TIME recently shared a gentle, practical solution: create a “brag folder” for yourself. It has nothing to do with narcissism; instead, it involves systematically collecting everyday praise and milestones to give yourself steady emotional support when you’re feeling low.
- Related reading: Always afraid of speaking in public? Overcome stuttering and social anxiety with just 15 minutes of reading aloud a day
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What is a “brag folder”?
As the name suggests, a “brag folder” is a private space where you store all your achievements and positive feedback. When under pressure, our brains naturally tend to magnify failures and overlook affirmation. Creating this folder is like building a gentle bridge between your brain and your memories. The next time you become overly concerned with gains and losses or start questioning your self-worth, open it to instantly bring those overlooked memories of success back to mind. This isn’t blind self-comfort; it’s using real evidence to help you win this mental battle.
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What should you put in your folder?
1. Screenshots of praise: Save screenshots of thank-you messages from colleagues on Slack or Teams, or an offhand compliment from a client.
2. Positive feedback: Positive comments from your manager during a performance review, or thank-you emails from clients.
3. Personal milestones: Certifications you’ve earned, project-completion data, or even a portfolio that has been recognized.
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Create a practical ritual of your own
Amid the busy pace of work, we’re always used to rushing forward and forget to turn back and applaud ourselves. If you’re used to gritting your teeth and swallowing all your emotions, this “brag folder” can be a great emotional outlet. Whether you create a “Brag Folder” album in your phone’s photo app or a desktop folder where you can easily drag things in, the act itself is a form of recognizing your self-worth.
Tonight, start by finding the first screenshot of a thank-you message in your phone’s photo album. This light that belongs to you is always waiting to help you through every difficult moment.
Join POPBEE Circle and subscribe to the POPBEE newsletter for the latest updates, and be among the first to learn about exclusive member perks and discounts. Beyond this article, here are a few recent stories worth checking out:
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