Show the world you’re confident, even if you’re shaking in your boots

No one feels confident all of the time, but sometimes you need to appear confident.

You may have a job interview, have a presentation coming up or a company function.

All of these and more can be unsettling and so at such times it can be helpful to appear confident, even if you’re feeling anything but.

Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to appear confident.

 

Try these tips to show the world you’re confident, even if you’re shaking in your boots:  

 

1. Maintain Good Eye Contact

Consider where people who appear confident look while you’re engaged in a conversation with them. They aren’t looking at their feet or gazing around the room. They look you in the eye. This isn’t a staring contest, but aim to make eye contact the majority of the time.

 

2. Stand Strong And Sit Up Straight

Confident people don’t slouch. Their strong posture demonstrates confidence and helps establish credibility. People who lack confidence are more likely to slouch and appear as small as possible. Standing strong and sitting up straight will help people notice you.

 

3. Avoid Fidgeting

Your hands don’t have to be in your pockets to fidget. Avoid moving documents around unnecessarily, picking at your clothes, your face and / or your hands. Fidgeting is a sign of nervousness.

 

4. Avoid Putting Your Hands In Your Pockets

Keeping your hands visible helps avoid fidgeting, shows openness and builds trust. Keep your hands where others can see them.

 

5. Smile

You’re happy and confident, so smile. Smiling puts others at ease and it helps put you at ease too.

 

6. Walk Confidently

When watching a film, observe how a confident person walks. They take purposeful strides and look like they have someplace to go without looking like they need to get there in a hurry. Emulate this and walk confidently.

 

7. Speak Slowly

Does a confident person talk quickly? No. They take their time and enjoy the attention. Confident people have been shown to speak more slowly than the average person. Nervous people tend to speak more quickly. Slow down and take your time. Your confidence will shine through.

 

8. Unfold Your Arms

When you fold your arms, it looks like you’re trying to protect yourself. There’s nothing to fear, so unfold your arms, be tall, and smile. Allow your arms to hang naturally by your side.

 

9. Keep Your Head Up

There’s nothing interesting going on down on the floor. Much like the myth that ostriches stick their head in the sand to hide, keeping your head down does nothing to demonstrate confidence. Show your confidence by keeping your head up.

By the way, ostriches lay their eggs in the ground so they stick their heads into the nest to rotate the eggs, hence the myth because they look like they’re trying to hide.

 

10. Speak At A Reasonable Volume

When you’re feeling less confident, you’re likely to speak more softly. To appear more confident, it’s better to increase the volume of your voice a little (you’re probably going to speak at a normal level as a result) rather than speak too softly and risk not be heard.

 

11. Use Gestures When You Speak

Gesture naturally when you’re speaking. Use your head (such as nodding and tilting) and your hands to engage in the conversation. The key is to keep gestures relative to the conversation.

 

12. Remind Yourself That You’re Confident

Repeat to yourself, “I am confident and powerful.” or “I appreciate my strengths and celebrate my accomplishments. I give myself credit for making an effort. I create my own definition of success.” or “I surround myself with positive influences.” Routinely repeat a positive mantra to yourself. It will help to block out other thoughts, and it really can help reinforce positive self-belief. Try out a few affirmations and see which one makes you feel the best.

 

You can show others that you’re confident, even if you’re not. Adopting the mannerisms of someone who is confident will help you show the world that you’re confident, even if you’re shaking in your boots! Remind yourself you’re a confident person. Behave confidently and you’ll feel that way too.

 

 

 

 

Contact me today for a complimentary 30-minute call and let’s explore how I can help you be the difference maker you are meant to be.

 

 

 

Photo by Alena Jarrett on Unsplash