Confidence is one of the best accessories you can carry around with yourself. We are sure you’ve heard that before. As cliché as it is, it is also true. People are unconsciously more attracted to a confident, self-assured person than somebody who does not have enough faith in him/herself. But the most important thing about confidence is that it’s like a muscle. You have to regularly work on it to strengthen it. But until the time you work on strengthening it, you might as well pretend to have a lot of faith in yourself. After all, haven’t you heard – fake it till you make it! Here are easy tips to fake confidence and appear more assertive.
1. Breathe
What? You must be thinking that you’re always breathing and it’s not going to help. But trust me, it does. The first step to appear naturally confident is to be relaxed. Deeps breaths are an amazing way to relax yourself. Before you enter a room, just take a deep breath and enter. Also, if you’re nervous, just take a few calming breaths. Instant mood changer!
2. Smile More
Smiling is supposed to release endorphins, the feel-good hormones, instantly putting you in a better mood. It also makes you appear more friendly and approachable. Laughter is a way to appear confident as well, but don’t giggle too much. That’s a sign of nervousness.
3. Stand Up Straight
A good posture can change everything. Slouching is a definite no-no. Always stand tall with your head held high and walk like you own the world, even if you feel like you don’t have everything together. The immediate boost of confidence will be amazing.
4. Eye Contact
Avoiding eye contact is a sure shot sign of nervousness and low self-esteem. So be sure you maintain eye contact when you are talking to others, even if it is a large group of people.
5. Don’t Believe Everything You Think
A lot of times, we tend to get stuck in our own heads and overthink everything. The key is to treat your thoughts as fleeting and not believe each of them. We analyse ourselves more than others do. So, just relax
6. Move A Little
Standing stiffly in one place can be a little awkward for you and for others. Instead, use hand gestures and move around a little to show that you have full control over the room. That does not mean fidgeting though!
7. Dress The Part
We’ve always heard, dress for the part you aspire for and not where you currently are. Dressing well just adds that extra oomph to your personality. Dressing shabbily will make people take you less seriously and wouldn’t create the best first impression!
8. Be Your Own Cheerleader
Constantly boost yourself up. Make a list of all things that make you, you. And when in doubt, refer to the list. This will help you concentrate on your own positives and love and accept yourself better!
9. Respect Is The Key
Nobody appears more confident by being disrespectful or rude. Treating others with respect shows them that you value them and aren’t threatened by them. And in turn, you’ll be treated with respect too!
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