We all experience fluctuations in our energy levels at work.

However, certain habits end up making us look insecure and unreliable. 

Almost all of us do these things from time to time, but when they become a habit that’s when the problem starts:

The confidence of coworkers and superiors begins to ebb away as we engage in these habits, which is why it’s important to keep them in mind and reduce and stop them if you find yourself falling into their trap.

Here are the work habits to eliminate for enhanced efficiency and making a confident, empowered impression.

1) Procrastination

If there’s one thing which can sink your reputation fast at work, it’s procrastinating. 

Everybody’s got a busy schedule and wants to hit their targets. When you slack off, it sends the wrong signal to coworkers and superiors. 

We all procrastinate now and then, just try to make it as little as possible if you want workplace respect to grow. 

As Abdul Sameer writes:

“Working too little or with little regard for the quality of your work gives you an unprofessional reputation as someone who is unmotivated or uninterested in doing a good job.”

2) Failing to prepare

Many jobs require preparation, learning, courses or other background work. 

I’ve failed to prepare or learn how to do a job properly before and been embarrassed on the job site, including a restaurant where I said I understood the order screen process and I didn’t.

The result was embarrassment and wasting time that should have been spent serving guests. 

As Integrity Staffing Solutions advises:

“Being prepared also means knowing how to get there on time. Practice the commute in advance to see how long it takes. Aim to arrive 15 minutes early to allow for traffic jams or other snafus.”

3) Saying sorry a lot

Over-apologizing is a habit that makes you look worse than you are. 

When I think of everyone I know, those who apologize the most are almost always the ones who should be apologizing the least (and vice versa). 

The only exception are those who apologize a lot as a passive aggressive (and insincere) tactic to get others to do what they want by being overly nice and pleading.

Both options are not going to do any favors in terms of the impression you make at the workplace. 

4) Venting or arguing during work hours

All sorts of stressful things come up in life, and that often includes during work hours. 

But if at all possible, try to take difficult calls or conversations in the bathroom or outside of work settings. 

This includes having emotional back and forth texting conversations during Zoom calls, or having off-screen conversations with somebody while on a meeting. 

Personal drama as well should generally stay as far from work as possible. 

As Kevin Daum writes:

“Keep your relationship issues outside of where others are working and can hear you. Take a break and go somewhere private, or better yet, save it until you get home.”

5) Seeking frequent validation and approval

We all like to get a pat on the back now and then, including at work. 

But seeking out approval and hunting for comments on what a great job you are doing is a surefire way to begin rapidly losing respect. 

The fact is that wanting to be liked and approved of, rapidly saps people’s view of us both in our personal and professional lives. 

As professional coach Audrey Reille points out:

“Wanting to be liked makes people look like they desperately need approval because they lack self-confidence and are full of self-doubt.”

6) Letting personal grooming slide

Never underestimate the power of personal grooming to create strong impressions. 

Simple things like combing hair, shaving or styling facial hair, fresh breath, wearing clean and well-pressed clothes and other basics can make a big difference.

The truth is that many people end up looking less-than-confident at work just based on surface appearance alone, and it becomes very hard for them to turn around negative first impressions. 

Peter Economy explains it well:

“Looking like a slob often gets you associated with being one, even if you’re not.”

7) Workplace gossip

There’s often workplace gossip going around that can be easy to fall into. 

This includes oversharing parts of your own life (positive and negative) that you’re currently going through. 

This is a less-than-stellar idea, firstly because it distracts from getting things done, and secondly because it can make you look unprofessional and not fully focused on the task at hand. 

“Not everyone wants to hear about the latest chapter in your rocky relationship drama … make sure you aren’t letting your feelings run you when you should be concentrating on the task at hand,” notes Daum.

8) Getting defensive at criticism or feedback

Making a positive impression and seeming confident at work requires being able to take criticism. 

It’s important not to get defensive when a colleague or superior tells you ways that you can improve.

Remind yourself that it’s nothing personal and that even insecure areas that they are discussing are still areas of your job where you can learn and improve. 

“Even if you’ve been in your same career for several years, there is always the opportunity to learn,” notes Indeed.

9) Indecisiveness and outsourcing decisions

When there’s an idea you have or thing you want to say, do your best to say so directly and confidently. 

Far too many of us preface our ideas and statements with self-deprecating jokes or with comments that indicate a lack of confidence. 

In order to appear confident at work, it’s crucial not to set yourself up for failure or let other people make all the decisions and provide the lion’s share of the input. 

“Have you ever been on a Zoom call or in a meeting and an idea comes to mind? And you timidly lean in and say, ‘I know this may be a dumb idea but…,’” asks Jane Hanson.

10) Being overly passive and laissez-faire

Even if you have quite a relaxed and chill attitude at work, it’s key to leave off the habit of being overly relaxed. 

Being too laissez-faire and “whatever” in your attitude at work can lead to the impression that you don’t take the job all that seriously. 

Although you may be very well liked for never getting too gung ho or involved at work, the overall impression of you can become that you aren’t very engaged or committed to the job. 

11) Interrupting and insisting on being right

On the flipside of being passive or overly “whatever,” is the issue of being too gung ho. 

In this case it’s important to drop the habit of letting your ego lead and interrupting a lot. 

This ends up taking away time from important tasks and spreading an impression of yourself as insecure and needing to be right. 

As Daum observes:

“When you interrupt, you not only frustrate the person you are talking to but you give them a negative impression of yourself. Learn to listen. You’ll gain admiration and respect.”