Do you want to project an air of confidence? If you do, your body language matters as much as your words. How can you make your stance say, “I’ve got this?”
If you want to appear more confident, master the following nine tips. You’ll discover that once you implement them, you’ll feel better inside, too. You genuinely can fake it until you make it!
1. Stand Up Straight
If you slouch, you not only appear less confident, you feel that way as well. One study investigated the effects of student posture on their perceived performance on math exercises. Those who practiced proper posture while sitting felt more capable of calculations than those who hunched over.
How can you improve your posture? Stand up straight with your buttocks and shoulder blades touching a wall behind you. You should feel a natural curve in your lower spine. Try to maintain this alignment when walking and sitting, too.
2. Make Eye Contact
When you can’t look someone in the eye, they may doubt the truth of your words or your faith in them. Try to maintain eye contact when you speak to others. You don’t want to rivet them with your stare, but they should feel as if you believe what you say. One trick? Stare at their forehead instead of directly into their eyes. They can’t tell the difference, and it might make you feel more comfortable.
3. Smile
If you want to appear more confident, smile at the people you meet. This expression indicates, “I have nothing to fear from you.” After all, what is a lack of bravado other than a sneaking suspicion that other people won’t be receptive to your words or actions? Additionally, research indicates that smiling can even reduce stress and improve your mood!
Perhaps you have issues with your smile, such as a diastema, or a gap in your teeth. If you do, you can consult with your dentist like this Dentist at sharon albright clinic, or find one if you don’t have one. Many options exist today for correcting imperfections in your smile that can impact your self-esteem.
4. Keep Your Hands Visible
It’s natural to put your hands in your pockets, but it makes you appear insecure. To broadcast an air of confidence, keep your hands where people can see them. This action symbolically says, “I have nothing up my sleeve.”
If you want to appear even bolder, pretend that you come from an Italian heritage, not a Scandinavian — regardless of your actual ethnicity. Speaking with your hands adds emphasis to what you say. Plus, while it’s relatively simple for most to lie verbally, it’s much more challenging to send the wrong nonverbal message. This practice increases the listener’s confidence in what you share.
5. Eliminate Filler Words
Do you tend to “um” and “hmm” when you speak? If so, the delay denotes a lack of confidence in your words. Try to eliminate fillers from what you say as much as possible.
If you have a speech impediment, you may wish to let people know this if you feel safe doing so. Otherwise, they may confuse your hesitancy for a lack of intelligence. They’re not trying to treat you poorly — at least not usually — they merely do not know. Clue them in.
6. Ask Questions
Have you ever heard the cliché, “Be interested, not interesting?” One super-simple way to boost your confidence is to ask questions of others to fill conversational gaps instead of prattling on about yourself. Before you attend a social event, such as your holiday office party, read up on conversation starter questions so that you’re prepared for small talk.
7. Slow Down
When you feel nervous, you tend to speak at a rapid-fire pace. Before you open your mouth, take a deep breath and exhale slowly and thoroughly. Remind yourself that you need to slow down. It might sound as if you are going at a snail’s pace — to your ears. Everyone else will hear a clear and confident enunciation.
8. Give a Firm Handshake
If your hand sits in the recipient’s like a limp noodle, you’ll send the message that you feel intimidated by them. Always greet individuals in business settings with a firm handshake unless you have legitimate fears about the latest bug. Better yet, carry hand sanitizer with you at all times. This tool also helps you to prevent sweaty palms.
9. Try Not to Fidget
Finally, fidgeting sends the wrong message. Yes, you burn more calories, but if your mission is to appear more confident, not shed pounds, who cares? Tame that swinging foot and avoid playing with your hair or biting your nails.
You Can Appear More Open and Confident
The message your body sends can mean as much as your words, if not more! Alter your body language and instantly appear more confident with a few simple tips.
