5 Effective Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Confidence is the magic elixir that gives us faith in our abilities and underscores our belief in ourselves. Most of us do not feel confident all the time; we have times when we’re plagued by self-doubt, anxiety or low self-esteem.

While some of the factors affecting your self-confidence are outside of your control, there are many things you can do to boost both your perception of yourself. This, in turn, will have an enormous impact on how other people see you and respond to you.

Here are five powerful tips that you can put into practice today to build your confidence when you need it most:

1. Smile

Your smile is one of your best confidence-boosting tools and has the added advantage of making those around you respond more positively to you.

Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin, both of which are known to increase happiness and lower pain. A genuine smile is contagious and will help improve the mood of those around you.

People who smile a lot are perceived to be kind, competent and confident. If that’s not enough to convince you to turn your frown upside down, studies also show that smiling makes you look younger and thinner!

2. Improve Your Posture

Did you know that the simple act of pulling your shoulders back will make you appear more confident, not only to others but also to yourself?

Standing up tall helps you breathe more efficiently, which not only reduces feelings of stress and anxiety but also improves your focus by allowing more oxygen to flow to the brain.

To achieve a confident, assertive posture when standing, place your feet shoulder width apart and distribute your weight equally on both legs while angling your feet towards the person you are speaking with. Imagine a string pulling your head up towards the sky and a straight line running from your earlobes through your shoulders, hip and the middle of your ankles.

3. Try a Power Pose

Your body language has a direct effect on how you feel about yourself. If you have never heard of power poses, take the time to watch social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s famous?TED talk.

Cuddy says that adopting an open body position that takes up space sends a message to the brain that you are feeling confident. This in turn increases testosterone levels and decreases cortisol levels, giving you renewed energy and boosting both your own and other people’s perception of you.

Examples of power poses include:

• The ‘Wonder Woman’ pose where you stand with your feet apart, your hands on your hips and your chin turned slightly upwards.
• One of the most expansive postures is the ‘Salutation’, which involves stretching out both your arms and lifting your chest and face towards the sun.
• You can also try the classic ‘Victory’ pose of raising your arms and fists above your head in celebration. This power pose is popular with athletes who have triumphed in a race or match.

Experiment with these in front of a mirror to find the power pose that works best for you.

4. Wear Your Favourite Outfit

It may sound shallow but when you look your best, you will feel your best. Don’t underestimate the effect that a well-fitting outfit, flattering hairstyle and carefully chosen accessories can have on your self-confidence.

When you don’t feel good about your physical appearance, it affects the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Imagine running into your boss wearing a stained old tracksuit and sporting unwashed hair. Our guess is that your confidence wouldn’t be sky high!

You don’t have to spend a fortune on designer clothes to look well put together. In fact, often less is more and a few, good quality items will make more of an impact than a wardrobe full of expensive labels.

5. Use Positive Affirmations

Repeating positive phrases or statements to challenge negative thoughts has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and boost confidence.

It doesn’t matter if you speak the affirmations out loud or write them down to read when you feel the need to combat negative feelings. The important thing is to repeat them regularly as this will rewire your brain by creating a mental image of what you are trying to achieve or become.

Here are some guidelines to help you write the affirmation statement that best fits your needs:

1. Keep your affirmation in the present tense
2. Only include positive words
3. Make it credible and achievable
4. Repeat your affirmation daily with enthusiasm and feeling!