Confidence is a Full Body Sport

Victoria Canham • 30 April 2025 • 4 min read

Victoria Canham Coaching: Light movement representing coaching progress

"The most confident people are those who walk through the world with a grounded sense of self, owning their presence in every part of their body." – Unknown

Confidence Isn’t Just a Mindset

It’s a full-body experience, and many high performers are completely disconnected from it. Here in the UK, just as anywhere else, the pressure to perform often leads to a relentless focus on the cognitive – the right words, the strategic thinking, the mental toughness. But that’s only half the story.

They think if they nail the presentation, power pose before a meeting, or mantra their way through a tough negotiation, they’ll finally feel confident. But that’s not how the body works. Real, sustainable confidence, the kind that doesn't crumble under pressure, comes from congruence. When your body, brain, and beliefs are working in harmony. When you’re not white-knuckling your way through performance, fuelled by caffeine and sheer willpower.

I learned this the hard way, through a series of physical setbacks that brought me to my knees – quite literally.

From Tough Mudder to Tough Lessons

I’d always prided myself on my resilience, my ability to push through. Never an injury, not even a twisted ankle, until I started pushing my physical limits. That’s when my body started sending some rather loud messages.

In 2013, during a Tough Mudder event that seemed a good idea at the time, I managed to break my leg in three places and my foot in five. Two years later, a kickboxing session went awry, resulting in a torn ACL, three months of prehab, and nine months of slow, often painful rehab after they rebuilt the ligament using my own hamstring. And just when I thought I was back on track, in 2022, three slipped discs in my lower spine led to symptoms of cauda equina – a spinal emergency that required surgery in early 2023, forcing me to learn to walk again.

It was brutal. The physical pain was immense, but the mental health fallout that followed nearly took me under. I went from feeling capable and high-performing to utterly helpless. The gym, the adrenaline, that ingrained sense of "I've got this" – gone in an instant. I was trapped in a body that felt like it had betrayed me, with a mind that wouldn’t stop replaying the narrative of what I’d lost.

And here’s the truth many healthcare professionals don't tell you, perhaps because they haven't lived it: when your body crashes, your confidence often goes with it. It’s a deeply unsettling experience that’s hard to understand unless you’ve been through it yourself.

Physical Resilience is Mental Resilience

High performers, the driven individuals I work with across the UK and globally, often don’t talk about this enough – the undeniable link between physical and mental robustness. When your body stops performing, everything else wobbles. Decision-making feels foggy. Confidence leaks away. Setting healthy boundaries becomes a struggle. Focus dissipates. Even relationships can feel strained.

I coach individuals who’ve built impressive careers on a foundation of perceived invincibility. Then, one day, something gives – an unexpected injury, a challenging diagnosis, a persistent dip in energy that no amount of strong coffee can fix – and they’re left feeling adrift, unsure of what to do.

Because the often-unspoken truth is that being physically fit isn’t just about looking good in your clothes; it’s about having the physiological capacity to meet and sustain your ambitions.

It’s about being able to:

▶️ Lead from the front without relying on multiple flat whites and a cortisol spike (or any other unsustainable "bump").

▶️ Navigate a day of challenging conversations without feeling completely drained by 5 pm.

▶️ Wake up clear-headed and go to bed with a relatively calm mind, ready for rest.

▶️ Look in the mirror and know, deep down, that you can back yourself – inside and out.

What Embodied Confidence Looks Like

When you feel truly grounded in your body, something shifts:

▶️ You stand taller, naturally.

▶️Your voice is clearer and more resonant.

▶️ You trust your intuition and stop second-guessing every decision.

▶️ Saying "no" feels empowering, not guilt-ridden.

▶️ You don’t feel the need to bulldoze or constantly perform to be taken seriously; your presence speaks for itself.

That’s not just a shift in mindset; it's embodiment in action.

The Cost of Being Out of Sync

If your body is underperforming, whether due to injury, chronic stress, or simply being neglected, your confidence will inevitably leak. And trust me, people feel it.

You’ll hesitate more in crucial moments. Overthink even simple decisions. Find yourself saying "yes" when every fibre of your being screams "no." You might snap at colleagues or loved ones when you intended to stay calm and composed. You’ll likely pull back from opportunities that demand your full energy and clarity, even if they excite you.

The ripple effect is real, impacting not just your professional life but your personal well-being too. But the good news is: so is the recovery.

This Isn’t About Six Packs and Salads (Though Looking After Yourself Helps!)

This is about treating your body like the business-critical system it truly is.

Think about it: would you ignore a broken laptop that’s essential for your work and just try to "power through"? Would you attempt to run a million-pound company on a flickering power supply (our South African friends know this struggle all too well 😉)?

Your body is your ultimate power supply. And if it’s not consistently supporting you, it’s silently sabotaging your efforts, no matter how strong your mental game thinks it is.

You’ll be genuinely amazed at the profound shifts you experience when you start treating your nervous system – the intricate network connecting mind and body – as an integral part of your performance plan, not just an afterthought to be addressed with a weekend spa visit.

So, how do we cultivate this embodied confidence? Here are a few simple yet powerful starting points:

▶️ Mindful Movement: Incorporate activities that connect you with your body, like yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, or even mindful walking in the park or along the river. Pay attention to the sensations in your body as you move.

▶️ Breathwork: Take a few moments throughout your day to focus on your breath. Slow, deep breaths can instantly ground you and regulate your nervous system. Try a simple box breathing exercise (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4).

▶️ Body Scans: Regularly bring your awareness to different parts of your body, noticing any sensations without judgment. This increases interoception, your ability to sense internal states.

▶️ Listen to Your Body's Signals: Pay attention to early signs of fatigue, stress, or discomfort. Don't push through at the expense of your well-being. Learn when to say "no" to that extra commitment.

My Body Broke, But My Standards Didn’t

Today, I’m still on a journey of rebuilding. I’m not as physically capable as I once was, and that requires constant adaptation. Every part of me has had to adjust due to those setbacks and injuries.

BUT because of that very experience, I’m mentally tougher and more resilient than I’ve ever been. I learned, through necessity, how to lead myself when everything else crumbled around me. I discovered a deeper, more embodied form of confidence that isn’t dependent on external validation or peak physical performance.

And that’s precisely what I now help my clients cultivate.

Let’s Talk, If This Feels Familiar

If your body, or that nagging inner voice, has been quietly waving a red flag lately, it’s time to listen. You don't have to wait for a crisis to prioritise this connection.

I work with high performers across the UK who’ve been running on reputation, adrenaline, and overthinking, and are ready for a new, sustainable way to perform – one that doesn’t cost them their health, their sanity, or their relationships.

💬 Book a confidential coaching consultation here. Let’s work together to build a performance strategy that supports all of you, not just the polished version that shows up on LinkedIn. Let's reconnect you with that innate, full-bodied confidence you deserve.

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Victoria Canham - Your Performance Partner

Victoria is an ICF-accredited certified professional coach, who offers personalised performance coaching. With a background in change management and countless hours of professional coaching training and experience, I made the big switch to full-time coaching in 2020. I know what it is like to suddenly have the rug pulled out from under you while you're busy making other plans, as a result, I now help people like you to bounce back from adversity and major setbacks to emerge stronger and better than ever before. Our clients have transformed from feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges to confident, goal-driven individuals who navigate life's obstacles with ease. They've achieved their personal and professional objectives and embodied peak performance in all aspects of life. You too can experience this transformation. This is your moment. Your chance to take control, to choose growth over stagnation, achievement over inaction. This is your opportunity to prove to yourself that you're not defined by your challenges—you're defined by how you rise above them. Are you ready to transform your life and achieve peak performance?