Confidence boosters
Follow our simple steps to think more positively and increase your confidence. 1. Fake it till you make it. You may be all of a-quiver inside, your confidence level may be at zero and plummeting, but if you put on a show of being confident, you will start to feel confident. Stand tall, lift your chin, take a deep breath and smile. Now go for it!
2. Talk yourself into a more positive frame of mind. If you can talk aloud, so much the better; if not, have a purely internal conversation putting a positive spin on whatever situation you’re in. Not “I look terrible, everyone will look better than me” but “I’ve taken real care over my appearance and I know I look good”.
3. Breathe deeply. Tension often makes us breath in short, shallow breaths which mean we may not get as much oxygen as we need – at the very time we need it most!
Consciously breathe in deeply, counting slowly to 10, then breathe out to the same count of 10. Repeat this as many times as possible and you’ll start to feel cool calm and collected.
4. Try copycat confidence. Think of the most confident person you know – a character in a film or a book will do, so long as when you think of them you think “wow, really confident”. Think about the way they walk, stand, sit, speak. What’s the pitch of their voice like? Do they speak quickly or slowly? Do they look you in the eye or look away? Analyse their every move – then copy them, move for move. It’s another version of faking it till you make it, and it works.
5. Prepare yourself. If you know you’re going into a situation that’s going to test your confidence, put in some preparation. Surrounded by strangers? Fine, plan a few conversation openers, simple stuff like “what brings you here today?”
Doing a presentation? Prepare, rehearse, prepare, rehearse until you’re word perfect. Plan “time-fillers” – expanding on information you’re giving, or suggesting how to find out more to help you over any sticky moments.
Going for a job interview? Simple – imagine yourself as the interviewer and work through every question that comes to mind. If none come, research the company more thoroughly or revisit the job description!
There’s always a way to give yourself a head start by doing your homework.
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