People read your body language,
often via instinct and without thinking. It’s because our poses and
postures are a great source of information. They reflect our mood and
our confidence level. We stand and walk a certain way when we’re
confident and another way when we’re nervous. In a glance, most people
can discern if we’re apprehensive or outgoing, relaxed or aggressive.
With a little practice, we can learn the tips to show confidence through
body language so that we always appear confident, capable and ready.
Top 10 Ways to Show Confidence With Body Language...after the break...
1. Avoid your pockets
The first tip on our list of the
top 10 tips to show confidence with body language is to keep your hands
out of your pockets. We put our hands in our pockets when we’re
uncomfortable or unsure of ourselves. And as long as you have your hands
stuffed down your pants, that’s how other people will view you.
Instinctually we tend to hide
our hands when we’re nervous; keeping your hands out in the open
indicates confidence and shows people you have nothing to hide. Also,
recognize that putting your hands in your pockets encourages slouching,
which isn’t good. As an alternative, try putting your hands on your
hips; it’s a far more confident posture.
2. Don’t fidget
Fidgeting is a clear sign of
nervousness. A man who can’t keep still, is a man who is worried, tense
and certainly not confident. Your hands can be your worst enemies —
fight to keep them still and steady. You can definitely talk with your
hands, but keep your gesticulations calm and under control. Also, when
seated, avoid that rapid leg-vibration thing that some guys do (you
don’t want to look like a dog getting his belly rubbed).
3. Keep your eyes forward
Keeping your eyes level might be
one of the trickiest ways to show confidence in body language. When
you’re walking anywhere by yourself, it often feels natural to lower
your head slightly and watch your step, but this posture communicates to
others that you don’t want to engage in conversation or interact. And
if you’re not careful, you might get into the habit of doing it all the
time. Keep your chin up and your eyes forward, even when you’re walking
down the street by yourself.
4. Stand up straight with your shoulders back
Standing up straight is one of
the most important of our top 10 tips to project confidence through body
language. It can be a challenge especially if you’ve been a sloucher
all your life, but get over it. Standing up straight is perhaps the most
important means of communicating confidence.
Concentrate on pushing your
shoulders back slightly when standing and walking. Nothing major,just a
little. That one simple motion does wonders for your posture. Try it in
front of the mirror—you’ll be surprised how much more confident it makes
you look.
5. Take wide steps
A confident man will never be
described as “scurrying,” “creeping” or “sneaking,” so pay attention to
the way you walk. If you want to show confidence with body language you
want to take large steps. Wide steps make you seem purposeful and
suggest a personal tranquility, which denotes confidence in a man.
6. Firm handshakes
Another of our top 10 tips for
showing confidence with body language has to do with the firm handshake.
There are few things worse than reaching out your hand during an
introduction and getting a palm full of dead fish. Don’t be that guy.
Instead, grip the other person’s hand firmly and confidently. If shaking
hands with someone you’ve already met, you might even consider the
two-hand grab: placing your free hand on the other person’s elbow adds
warmth and enthusiasm to the handshake. Just don’t get carried away. A
handshake is not a contest. Don’t try to crush the other person’s hand
and don’t hold on too long.
7. Proper grooming
Imagine yourself walking into a
room, maybe there are lots of beautiful women there or maybe the room is
filled with respected colleagues. Now consider your appearance: four
days’ worth of scruff, bad skin, hair crispy and pointy like a
Backstreet Boy’s. The point we’re trying to make is that grooming is an
essential component of communicating confidence through body language.
You want your hair, face and
even your smell to work for you, not against you. Don’t be afraid to
experiment with new products to find the ones that work for you.
8. Smile
Confident people smile because
they have nothing to worry about. Try this as an experiment: smile at
someone as you pass them on the street or walking around the office.
Chances are good that they’ll smile back. Now wouldn’t you like to have
that effect on people all the time?
9. Don’t cross your arms when socializing
Crossing your arms is a
protective posture. We do it when we’re cold, nervous or on guard. Think
of those big, burly nightclub bouncers, crossing their 26-inch pythons
while standing guard at the door to a club. Do they look like guys you
want to talk to, joke with or work with? No, right? Their job is to look
intimidating. Your job is to look likeable, open and confident. So
relax a little and keep your arms uncrossed.
10. Use contact to show appreciation
The pat on the back is a lost
art. Don’t be afraid to pat a buddy or a colleague on the back when he
or she delivers a perfectly timed punch line or nails the big
presentation. Most people aren’t freaked out by a hand on the shoulder
and they’ll likely be appreciative of your sign of affection and
respect.