Ask anyone – the most attractive thing about a woman is her confidence. More often than not, how confident you feel about accomplishing something plays a huge role in you actually accomplishing it. So here are some clever psychological tricks to help you take on the year. They’ll help you feel more confident and they are all so do-able!
1. Deceive till you believe
The first step to achieving anything is believing. Even if you do not feel quite as confident, you can trick or rather train your mind into believing that you are confident and that you can and you will do it. Repeat the words ‘I am confident. I can do this.’ to yourself, over and over again. Since your subconscious mind cannot really differentiate between true and fake inputs, you will gradually feel more confident about the task at hand. Basically, fake it till you make it.
2. The power of poses
Your body language affects how people look at you and even how you see yourself. An experiment conducted by the bright minds of Harvard Business School found that power poses like feet on the desk and hands behind the head, affected the level of confidence and the feeling of being ‘in charge’ in both men and women. Apart from specific power poses, your posture can elevate your confidence level too. So sitting up straight and walking tall can actually make you feel bigger, higher and as a result, more confident.
3. Beam away!
While smiling helps lift your mood by making you perceive things in a better light, it also makes you attractive to people around you. They warm up to you which facilitates positive uplifting reactions and conversations. This gives your confidence a major boost without you making too much effort. Now you know how important your toothy smile is!
4. Shake a leg
Dancing is a stress reliever and it can instantly lift your spirits. Even if you are not a dancer or do not like dancing, studies show that a few minutes of loosening up your body can bring down your anxiety and stress levels, thereby giving you a sense of high self-esteem and confidence. So go on, put your dancing shoes on and get going!
5. Reminiscence your best and strongest moments
According to a study published in the Journal Of Experimental Social Psychology, recalling your moments of glory, appreciation and achievement from your past can play a major role in making you feel more confident. It boosts your morale and makes the task at hand seem more achievable and doable. Turns out, sometimes brooding does pay!
6. Dress up like a boss!
The way you dress up affects your state of mind. If you are shabbily dressed, you will automatically be in a casual breezy mood and not have as much of a go-getter attitude. In order to feel more confident, choose your attire wisely. Go for well-fitted clothes in colours you feel comfortable wearing. A blazer especially, can give your confidence a power boost on the days when you are feeling sluggish and low on self-esteem.
7. Sweet sweet sweat
Apart from the million health benefits of exercising, this one’s the alpha of them all. Exercising leads to improved blood flow and loosening of knots in your body thereby relieving you of stress and tension. It helps shun negative thoughts and calms you down which in turn induces a prevailing sense of happiness and self-belief. So grab your running shoes and get set go, girl!
8. Channel your idol
Your fave movie star can actually help boost your confidence. How, you ask? Studies have shown that emulating someone you admire or look up to and finding some common qualities between them and yourself, can actually help you feel more confident. It helps you believe in your best self and inspires you to do everything to achieve that. So daydream about Shahrukh Khan all you want, ladies!
9. Pocket a lucky charm
Your lucky sock or your fave keyring may not have magical powers but they can surely help induce a feeling of self belief and positivity. Thinking that you have luck on your side (even if it is hypothetical) tricks your mind into believing in an elevated sense of achievement. You feel more confident and the ‘I can do this’ feeling prevails.
10. Beats and the bass!
We subconsciously associate bass music with power, which is why listening to it can make you feel more pumped up and energetic. It is a good idea to have a playlist of high-on-bass songs in your phone for the times when you need an extra confidence boost!
