If you’re self-confident, you believe that your uniqueness is worthy of admiration and that you belong. It has the power to alter how the world perceives and treats you. Your level of self-confidence influences your future. People intuitively recognize how much self-confidence you have and respond accordingly.
One of the easiest ways to experience greater confidence is to take on the thoughts, mannerisms, and movements of confident people. When you look confident to others they treat you with more respect, which will boost your confidence even more, so that you’ll actually begin to feel confident.
Try these 10 tips for looking and feeling confident:
1. Speak more slowly.
Think about the most confident people you know. Think about James Bond. Does he look confident? You bet he does! How does he speak? Slowly and authoritatively as you’re responding to something said to you. Take a deep breath and pause for a second. Take your time and speak slowly.
2. Avoid trying to please everyone.It’s an unachievable goal anyway.
If you’re truly confident, you don’t feel the need to be accepted by everyone. Be kind and polite, but don’t spend your time trying to be a pleaser. When you spend too much time on others and ignore yourself, they come to the conclusion that you must not be that important.
3. Have the proper level of eye contact.
If your eye contact is poor, you don’t look confident to others. And it can be challenging to develop it. So start slowly and make the effort to slowly increase your eye contact during all your interactions with others.
Remember that it’s not a staring contest, but too little eye contact is a very strong sign that you lack self-confidence.
4. Visualize yourself being confident in all situations.
Imagine yourself being confident at work, with a stranger, and on a date. Spending a few minutes visualizing each day is a great way to mentally practice being confident. In fact, imagine applying all of these tips in the situations where you feel your confidence is lagging.
5. Slow your movements and gestures.
Again, think of James Bond, and how he manages to look confident. His gestures are slow and smooth. Quick, twitchy movements are interpreted as a sign of social discomfort. Try to be elegant and graceful.
6. Move with purpose.
Consider how your co-workers walk down the hall at your workplace. The lower-level people tend to walk with a lack of purpose and direction. It’s almost as if they’re mindlessly wandering around.
Then consider how the most powerful person at work walks. Does she look confident? Of course she does! She’s not rushed, but she’s not wasting time and knows where she’s going.
7. Stand up straight.
Your mom told you a hundred times. You feel and look better when you stand tall. Look straight ahead.
8. Avoid fidgeting.
All of your movements have a purpose when you’re confident. There’s no reason to bounce your leg, wave your hands around, or to pick at yourself.
You can think any thoughts you choose, so make your thoughts positive! Tell yourself that you’re confident and people respect you. Whatever you continuously say to yourself will eventually become your reality.
Avoid underestimating the importance of confidence. Some success experts claim confidence is the best predictor of success. If you’re not feeling confident, boosting your self-confidence might be the best way to enhance all aspects of your life. Add a single tip each week until you’ve incorporated all of them. Experience the positive effects greater self-confidence has on your life.
