4 Things To Do To Immediately Appear More Confident

confidence

I have always been fascinated by the power of body language.

Think about it. How many times have you made conclusions and assumptions about someone´s capabilities, trustworthiness or opinions just by looking at them, probably only based on how they sit, stand or hold their arms?

The truth is that we all do that, sometimes without even realizing it. And one of the most useful messages you can send through body language is confidence.

Confidence is probably one of the key success drivers in life. Many studies have proven that those who appear more confident achieve higher status in life than their less confident colleagues.

So to help you quickly appear more confident at work or when facing any challenges in life, I’ve selected my favorite tricks to help you send a strong confidence message through your body language in just a few seconds.

Stand up straight!

This is the first one in the list for a reason.

Good posture has a massive influence in how others perceive you. Standing up straight projects confidence and authority, while slouching makes you look unprofessional and disinterested.

And the best part is that by rolling your shoulders back you will not only be seen by others as more confident but you will also FEEL more confident, since in this situation your body sends messages to your brain that make you feel more powerful – and just by keeping a good posture!

Keep your feet separate

You might have never noticed, but standing with your feet too close together can make you appear timid.

So  send a strong message to your audience.  Make sure you keep your feet aligned with your hips and shoulders.   This will keep you more balanced physically and will shows more confidence than if your legs are crossed or together.

Keep your chin and head up.

Ever noticed how kings and queens in the movies always have their heads a bit up, almost in an arrogant way? Of course you don´t want to do that.  But this is just an example of how confident people are always looking up, never down.  Not at the ground, at the table or at the iPhone (you do that a lot, don´t you?).

Here is a trick that may help you.  Pretend that there is a string holding the crown of your head up. Go on and try it now! 😉

Always keep eye contact

Last but not least, strong eye contact is one of the greatest indicators of confidence.

If this is something you struggle with, try looking at the other person’s eyes for two seconds, then looking at their nose for two seconds, and then start again. With this trick, the other person won’t be able to tell that you’re not looking directly at their eyes the entire time, and you will definitively appear more confident in the eyes of your listener.

 

Practice, practice, practice!

I believe that for everything in life, the more you practice, the more you get used to something until you start doing it in an unconscious way.

So if you want to start  using your body language to appear more confident, start practicing these tricks all the time.  When walking to the bus stop, ordering a coffee or trying to convince your friends to watch that movie you’ve been wanting to!

 

Image: Main 

Tatiane Delamuta

Tatiane is a Brazilian marketer with an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona and currently living in London. With over ten years of experience, she has managed brands and products in the consumer goods, retail and pharmaceutical sectors. Passionate about travelling, she is always planning her next trip – and driving her husband crazy with her intense sightseeing plans. You can follow her on twitter @tati_delamuta

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