What's been said is that, “A single picture can tell a 1000 words.” They say that, “First impressions are often cured by a second look.” So picture yourself, not in the mirror at home but when you’re strutting your stuff out in public. It’s all about your physical body language first.
So there you are, you're approaching a prospective client, a person of influence, or are walking into a boardroom full of people. It could be a busy coffee shop or a crowded nightclub. So how do you look, how do you think you look. What message are you portraying or communicating the moment someone sees you.
What is your body saying. Your shoulders, your hands, or your eyes. What others will instantly do is make a snap decision on whether they like you or not, in about 2 seconds flat. So what type of information are you allowing them to gather about you.
If you haven’t really thought about it, then you should be more aware. So listed are the top signals of instantly portraying nonverbal confidence, when it comes to body language.
Clues In Body Language
People will instantly and subconsciously read into your body language, first, this by they using their instincts and defense mechanisms. So it depends entirely on how you pose, how you look at them, which reveals a great amount of information about yourself.
What others will do is instantly digest how you look, and then translate it into what your mood is, or what your confidence level is. So how you walk, or glide, depends on your confidence level, or if you’re a nervous wreck. The aura tells all. At a single glance, most can also discern and sense if you’re outgoing, aggressive, apprehensive, or relaxed.
But with a bit of practice, and knowing the cues, you can learn and use the steps which can project full confidence, by using your body language correctly. This way, you can appear as confident as possible, even if you’re not.
Ways Of Improving Body Language
Walk By Taking Wider Steps
When you strut down the sidewalk, a confident dude or gal never wants to be labelled as being creepy, aloof, sneaky, snobby, or scurrying. So pay a lot of attention to the way that you walk.
If you’re wanting to show your confidence using body language, what you want is to take large wider steps, this especially for guys, which makes you seem purposeful, as well as suggesting a personal tranquility. What this denotes is confidence.
Stand Up Straight Shoulders Pinned
Standing up as straight as possible, is one of the most important indicators which projects confidence. This can however be a challenge, especially if you happen to have a bad or sore back, or you’re a natural sloucher. So because of that, be extremely conscious of it.
Standing up as straight as possible, is perhaps one of the most important means of communicating that you’re a confident outgoing person. So always concentrate on keeping your shoulders held back slightly, especially when standing still.
One such motion will do wonders, and others will take instant notice, so it’s important that you check out your posture in front of the mirror. You may be surprised how much more confident it makes you look.
Keeping Your Eyes Focused And Forward
Attempting to keep your eyes as level as possible might be one of the most difficult, if not the trickiest ways of showing confidence. When you’re walking around anywhere, the most natural and instinctive thing to do is lower your head slightly down, and watch where you step.
What this posture does, is it immediately tells others that you’re not interested in engaging in any conversation or interaction. No eye contact for you. It’s also an extremely easy habit to acquire as well.
So make sure that you always keep your chin up, and your eyes focused forward, even if you happen to be walking down the street by yourself. And stop texting.
Make Sure That You’re Properly Groomed
Imagine that your walking into a room of complete strangers, or a meeting room filled with your colleagues, or gasp… a party. Also consider what your appearance will look like if you have: 4 days of unshaven stubble on your face, bad oily skin, bad tacky clothing, and your hair crispy, unkempt and dirty.
The point is that grooming is an absolute essential component of being confident when it comes to body language. So you’ll want your hair styled and organized trendy, your face scrubbed dry, you smelling great, and wearing acceptable clothing for the occasion, as all will work in favor for you. So find the proper products, which will work the best for your body type.
Giving Out Firm Handshakes
Part of showing confidence before you even say a word, is having a firm handshake. There’s nothing worse than someone reaching out for your hand and they getting a palm full of moist cold dead fish.
So don’t be that guy or gal. Make sure that you grip the other person’s hand as firmly and as confidently as possible. If you’re shaking hands with someone that you already know, then you may even consider a firmer two-handed grab. This involves placing your other hand on the person’s elbow, which adds warmth as well as enthusiasm to the handshake.
Just make sure that you don’t get carried away. A handshake also isn’t a kung-fu grip contest, so don’t try crushing the other person’s hand either, or hold on for too long.
Stay As Still As Possible
People who fidget is a clear sign of being nervous. So someone who’s not able to keep still is someone who’s tense, worried, and not that confident. How you use your hands could be your worst enemy. So make sure you keep them as still and steady as possible.
Although you may talk with your hands, try keeping your gesticulations as calm as possible while being under control. Also, when you’re sitting down, try avoiding that impulsive rapid leg vibration humping motion that some people will nervously do.
Keep Your Hands Out Of Your Pockets
Keeping your hands in your pockets is a sign of being unsure, or uncomfortable about yourself or the situation. Having your hands stuffed firmly down your pockets, others will view you as aloof.
On instinct, what we do is hide our hands when we’re nervous, so keeping your hands out in the open portrays confidence while showing the world that you have nothing to hide.
Also, know that when you put your hands in your pockets, what that does is it encourages slouching forward. So as an alternative, place your hands on your hips, if appropriate, as that’s a much more confident posture.
Just Smile Sara
Those who are confident easily smile since they have nothing to hide, or worry about. So as an experiment, try smiling at someone, a complete stranger that you pass on the street, or someone walking around in the office.
The chances are extremely good, that they’ll naturally and instinctively smile back at you. So wouldn’t having that type of effect on others all the times, be a good idea.