From cringe to composed in 3 steps 🧘

Ever had one of those moments where you say the wrong thing, forget a key detail, or completely blank in front of a group? That stomach-drop feeling of messing up can make you want to shrink and disappear—but here’s the thing: confident people mess up too! 

The difference? They know how to recover with grace instead of spiraling into self-doubt. 

I experienced this just last year when I received an email about a delicate matter, missed the fact that I was BCC’d on it, and hit “reply all” with my response. Let’s just say one of my contacts was not thrilled. 

In that moment, I wanted to crawl under my desk and pretend WIFI didn’t exist, but I decided I needed to own the mistake instead. 

I sent a quick (and slightly self-deprecating) follow-up. I also called my contact to talk their concern through. To prevent a rumination waterfall, I reminded myself, “I’m usually thoughtful. I don’t usually make oversights like this. But hey, it happens.” 

Most people think mistakes = failure, but the reality is that your response matters more than the slip-up itself. You show resilience, self-assurance, and even leadership when you handle an "oops" moment smoothly. 

Plus, people respect those who can laugh off, own, or redirect a mistake because it signals that you're secure in yourself and that one misstep does not define you.

Confidence shows up in how you bounce back, not in being perfect. So let's look at how to turn an awkward stumble into a trust-building power move. 

Quick Confidence Tips to Recover from a Mistake 

1. Embodied: Keep your cool. When you realize you've made a mistake—especially in a high-stakes setting—your body often reacts before your brain does. You might freeze, shrink inward, or get that flushed, buzzing feeling like your whole nervous system hit panic mode. That’s normal. The key is to interrupt that spiral, not escalate it. Start by exhaling. Slowly. Then take a few intentional breaths—not just to "center" yourself, but to literally slow your heart rate and buy your brain a little space to think. Drop your shoulders. Unclench your hands. I like to place both feet flat on the ground and feel their contact with the floor—something solid, something real. That grounding helps re-anchor your presence, telling your body and your audience, I’m still here. I can handle this.

   
   

2. Mindset: Flip the script. Your instinct might be to overanalyze or assume that everyone is judging you. Instead, ask: If someone else made this mistake, how would I react? Chances are, you’d forget about it in minutes. Most people aren’t scrutinizing you as much as you think, so instead of catastrophizing, reframe it as a blip, not a defining moment. In my own life, I find it easier to do this if I add a little humor, asking myself: Are we calling the authorities or just overreacting? Is this a crisis or just Tuesday? On a scale from “oops” to “apocalypse,” where are we? It’s okay to lighten up.

   
   

3. Interpersonal: Call it out with confidence. Own the mistake instead of awkwardly avoiding it. A quick, direct acknowledgment makes you look more in control. Try: “Whoops! Scratch that—I meant to say…”(Casual confidence beats awkward fumbling.) “I totally misheard you—let me try that again.”(Quick, clean, and moves things forward.) “Good catch—I appreciate you pointing that out.” (Flips an error into a moment of poise.) Mistakes feel bigger in our heads than they do to others. When you call it out with confidence, you move on faster and show that you're secure enough to easily handle a misstep.

Some of the most charismatic, well-respected people in the world mess up. They just treat it like something they can recover from—so can you. 

So the next time you trip up—big or small—practice the art of the smooth recovery. Stand tall, own it with a clear line, and permit yourself not to turn it into a saga because confidence lives in moving through the misstep, not in avoiding them altogether.

What’s one blunder you’ve recovered from like a boss or totally fumbled? Share it in the comments, and let’s normalize grace over perfection.