You’ve got to fake it ’til you make it, right? It’s not always easy to come across as strong and confident, especially if you’re going through a stressful situation. But the good news is that you don’t have to do anything major to display these qualities, like during a job interview or on a first date. Here are 11 tiny behaviors that instantly make a woman seem strong and confident — they’re really easy to do!
1. Making Eye Contact
It’s so simple but true: engaging in eye contact with the person you’re chatting to tells them that you’re strong and won’t back down. You’re looking into their eyes, the window of their soul, without flinching or casting your eyes elsewhere in the room. If you struggle to make eye contact, picture an inverted triangle that connects their eyes and mouth. Look at different points of the triangle every few seconds.
2. Having A Strong Posture
One of the quickest ways to seem stronger and more confident is to check your posture! If you’re slouching, you’re telling the world that you’re not sure of yourself or you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your head tilted upwards. This says you’re sure of yourself and know your worth.
3. Using A Firm Handshake
If you have to shake someone’s hand, make sure you don’t give them a soft handshake! You want your handshake to be firm instead of limp, but don’t clench too hard — you don’t want to send out anxious vibes. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to have your digits beautifully moisturized before making contact, okay?
4. Accepting Compliments
Being able to receive and accept compliments with grace is a sign of strength and confidence. Instead of brushing off the compliment, which makes you seem unsure of yourself, say “thank you.” That’s all you need to do if you really don’t like being the centre of attention, but it will prevent you from seeming rude or insecure.
5. Celebrating Other People Rather Than Competing With Them
A self-assured woman won’t experience a wobble if someone in her circle or workplace achieves success. She’ll be there to celebrate with the person and give them kudos for a job well done, instead of showing jealousy or resentment which reeks of insecurity. Remember how cool it feels when people pat you on the back and tell you that you’re awesome – now go do that for others.
6. Asking For Help
Instead of trying to carry all your stress and anxiety by yourself, don’t resist reaching out for help. Although you might think you’re showing weakness by doing this, you’re actually showing the world that you’re confident in yourself to know what you can and can’t do. Remember, no one can do everything on their own all the time. It just sets them up for failure.
7. Scheduling Self-Care
You know yourself and what you need, and if you’re strong and confident within yourself you’ll look after yourself. You know you can’t help others or get the job done properly if you’re not in the right headspace or if you’re neglecting your health. So, engage in self-care to keep your batteries recharged. This could include hitting a yoga class, going for a run, or taking a nap if you’re pushing yourself too hard.
8. Saying Mantras
Confidence is an inside job. Start your day with a few mantras in front of the mirror, so you can get into the right mindset and cultivate some optimism. Tell yourself that you’re strong and confident and this will brush off on you throughout the day. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to?
9. Slowing Down Your Speech
If you’re not feeling confident, it’s easy for your speech to become faster, which tells people that you’re feeling nervous or uneasy. So, an easy trick to come across as more confident is to slow down your speech. Force yourself to speak calmly and lower your voice a bit so it’s not too high-pitched. This exercise can also help you to better formulate what you’re going to say.
10. Dressing To Impress
When you feel like you look good, it’s a little easier to carry yourself with confidence. This doesn’t mean you have to wear expensive clothing, but it does mean that you should wear clothing that gives you an instant confidence boost. To make the best impression, check that your clothes are well-fitting, free of threading or holes, and not missing buttons.
11. Challenging Negative Thoughts
It can bash your self-confidence to allow negative thoughts to run circles around your mind. Challenge the thoughts as they come, and try to tell yourself positive things. So, instead of saying, “I’m scared because I’ve never done this before,” say, “It’s an adventure!” Or, instead of saying, “I don’t have the resources to achieve this goal,” say, “I’ll make it work somehow.”
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