In today's video we're going to look at 10 ways to appear more confident by adopting
simple but effective body behaviors that signal confidence.
These tips will be useful for everyone, and not only for those who suffer from social
anxiety disorder that causes them to feel insecure in interactions with others.
The great thing about all of these 10 behaviors is that once you start adopting them and making
them part of you, you will then follow them spontaneously and effortlessly, and not only
will they make you APPEAR more confident, but you will actually FEEL more confident.
Let's see now what these 10 behaviors are.
1. Make eye contact Appear confident by maintaining eye contact
in social interactions.
Good eye contact shows others that you are interested and comfortable.
Look the other person in the eye about 60% of the time.
If direct eye contact feels too intimidating, start by looking at a spot close to the person's
eyes.
This is also important in romantic situations, being able to maintain eye contact with the
woman or man in front of you will make you look much more intriguing than if you don’t.
Be mindful though, while you want to show attention to the person in front of you, at
the same time you don't want to stare at her continuously or she may feel uncomfortable.
Look away from time to time.
2.
Lean forward
When you are in a conversation, leaning forward indicates interest and attention.
While it can be tempting to maintain distance if you are socially anxious, doing so conveys
the message that you are disinterested or aloof.
Obviously don't overdo it and respect other people's personal space, especially in this
day and age.
3.
Stand up straight Don't slouch!
Those with social anxiety tend to try and take up as little space as possible, which
can mean sitting slumped over in a protective pose.
Straighten your back, pull your shoulders away from your ears, and uncross your arms
and legs.
Focus on walking with your shoulders well back and after a while it will come to you.
This is an especially important point, a simple behavior that will make you look more confident
as well as more attractive with minimal effort, whether you are man or a woman!
4.
Keep your chin up.
Do you look at the ground when you are walking?
Is your head always down?
Instead, walk with your head up and your eyes looking forward.
It might feel unnatural at first, but eventually, you will become used to this more confident
pose.
5.
Don't fidget.
Fidgeting is an obvious sign of anxiety and nervousness.
Appear more confident by keeping fidgeting to a minimum.
Nervous movements draw attention away from what you are saying and make it hard for others
to focus on your message.
6.
Avoid your pockets.
Though it can be tempting to shove your hands in your pockets, particularly if you are worried
about them shaking, doing so makes you look more anxious and less confident.
Keep your hands out of your pockets to look more self-assured.
7.
Slow your movements.
Fast movements make you appear more anxious.
Everything from hand gestures to your walking stride can make a difference; slow down and
notice how you feel more confident.
8.
Take larger steps.
As you slow down, try to take longer strides when you walk.
Confident people take larger steps and walk with authority.
Doing so will make you feel less anxious.
9.
Watch your hands.
Be careful about touching your face or your neck; both are indications that you feel anxious,
nervous, or afraid.
Confident people don't make these types of movements.
10.
Give a firm handshake How is your handshake?
A weak or limp handshake is an obvious sign of a lack of confidence, so work on making
sure that you offer a firm hand when meeting others.
After practice, it will come naturally.
When you shake someone’s, hand give a firm handshake - this doesn't mean shaking too
hard because you might hurt the other person, but definitely avoid giving a weak or inert
handshake, as not only this is an obvious sign of lack of trust, but it could also be
taken as a sign of disrespect.
Make sure that you offer a firm handshake when meeting someone.
Still not sure you can muster up the confidence to change your body language?
Remember that you don't have to feel confident to change your behavior.
Although it might feel strange at first, acting in a confident way will eventually feel more
natural and might even boost your self-esteem.
If you really need convincing, have a look at yourself on video; your nervous habits
and posture can be easily changed once you identify them.
What about you, which of these 10 points do you tend not to follow and do you think would
actually help your sense of self-confidence?
Let us know in the comments.
If you liked this video, don’t miss the video “How to Improve Your Self Esteem”
that you can find on this channel.
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done so already and wish you a wonderful rest of the day!