You can emanate confidence through the way you carry yourself. If you walk the talk, you’ll surely get that spring in your step that will definitely turn heads. Here are seven body language tricks to instantly appear more confident in any occasion or setting.
1. Maintain good posture.
People with a severe lack of confidence tend to try as hard as they can to take up as little space as possible, which is why there is a tendency to slouch or hold an inward pose. To start getting used to maintaining good posture, do exercises to straighten your back every now and then, ease your shoulders, and let your arms and legs hang.
In addition, having your very own signature power pose that suits you has been proven to stimulate higher levels of testosterone. This hormone is associated with power and decreases stress levels.
2. Chin up!
Whenever you catch yourself keeping your head down while walking or sitting, remember this tip. Tilt your head up with your eyes looking forward to assume a more confident stride.
This body language trick is simple enough and will automatically emulate comfortable body language — even during uncomfortable times such as your monthly period.
3. Make eye contact.
People with social anxiety often avoid eye contact as much as possible when interacting with others. Although it might be uncomfortable at first, keep in mind that maintaining eye contact will make it appear that you aren’t scared of social interactions. It will actually make you look very comfortable in them.
To start getting used to it, you can take a first step by looking more often at an area near the eyes whenever you speak to someone.
4. Avoid fidgeting.
Getting fidgety and clammy is a very obvious sign of nervousness. If this is a bad habit of yours, be more conscious about your fidgeting and curb it one day at a time.
Actions that show you are nervous may be distracting to the people you talk to and undermine what you’re saying completely.
5. Walk the talk; take bigger steps.
Remember — one concrete manifestation of confidence is taking as much space as you can. This gesture expresses that you are worthy of that space and that you are always sure of every step you take.
When walking, you can appear to have authority if you take bigger strides. Internally, taking bigger steps can also decrease anxiety.
6. Firm handshakes are key.
Test your handshake out with your roommate or sibling. Having a weak grip is another obvious sign of a lack of confidence. As we’ve seen in a lot of movies, men are usually impressed whenever other people have stronger handshakes than expected.
Since touch is the non-verbal cue that is able to emulate the most power, having a firm handshake upon first meeting will make a first impression that you are strong and confident.
7. Lean forward or lean closer whenever conversing.
Another key tip is to always make it a point to appear interested or engaged during conversation. One example is to lean forward or lean closer to whom you are talking to.
When the other person sees that you are engaged, they will think you have achieved a level of comfort during the conversation. As a result, they will be confident enough to exchange thoughts.
If you’re still iffy about these tips, remember that appearing more confident will help you out in life as it will make you more comfortable in your own skin. It might feel awkward and odd at first, but achieving a basic level of comfort in daily interactions in the workplace or elsewhere will help significantly in terms of your self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
An important aspect to this is also learning about the anxiety-driven habits or tendencies you possess. That way, you can gradually minimize them. Identifying these tendencies will inform you more about your brain, what boosts its strengths, and what aggravates its weaknesses.
Feature Image by Clarke Sanders on Unsplash
