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e’ve all experienced instances where we want to put our best foot forward. Whether it’s a promising job interview, a first date, or a business presentation, these moments exist for us to shine. Yet, sometimes, despite our best intentions, we sabotage ourselves when our body language doesn’t speak of confidence. The result is that we radiate self-doubt, leading to a sense of low confidence that those we intend to impress can pick up. Of course, what you say is important. But how you hold and conduct yourself with nonverbal signals also speaks volumes. So how do you fix this?
Luckily, purposeful body language can help counteract the low-confident signals we emit when nervous. Small tweaks to how you walk, talk, and carry yourself can infuse confidence into any interaction or performance. Read on for ten of the best body language that beams with confidence and displays assured poise.
Check out 10 of the best body language for radiating confidence…
#1. Keep eye contact
They say eyes are windows to the soul. When it comes to exuding confidence, consistent eye contact is key. Keeping this contact with your conversation partner or audience feeds their sense of value and connection. Occasionally glance away to avoid staring uncomfortably, but keep bringing your gaze back. This simple eye contact magic conveys credibility and authority better than any words.
#2. Speak slowly
Fast talkers often get perceived as anxious, scattered, or less credible. Even if you’re nervous, make an effort to speak clearly at a moderate pace. Thoughtful pauses between sentences can also augment perceptions of confidence. When you consciously slow down your speech, you buy time to gather thoughts and choose words intentionally.
#3. Stand tall — back straight and shoulders high
Posture speaks volumes before you even open your mouth. Standing tall with your shoulders back and head high conveys assurance and readiness, while slumped shoulders read as tiredness or defeat. Set your posture on confident auto-pilot by visualizing a string at the crown of your head gently lifting your torso. Keep your chin level, abs engaged, and weight balanced evenly on both feet.
#4. Walk the “C” walk
Your stride communicates worlds about your state of mind. Timid, passive steps indicate reticence, while swagger often overcompensates. For confident body language while walking, take longer steps and keep your gaze forward. Also, let your arms swing freely at your sides. The confident walk emits humility and quiet capability. Walking appropriately is one of the body languages that exudes confidence as it gives off an authentic aura and lets people in on your self-awareness.
#5. Use firm handshakes
Few first impressions are formed faster than the introductory handshake. There’s an art to shaking someone’s hand with perfect pressure and duration. Grip firmly enough to communicate assuredness, but not aggressively enough to crush fingers. Three seconds is the optimal shake length before disconnecting. While doing this, ensure to maintain eye contact. If palms are sweaty, discreetly wipe them off beforehand or apologize lightheartedly. It’s better to acknowledge nerves than transmit them through a weak palm.
#6. Use expressive gestures
What you do with your hands while interacting or presenting powerfully impacts perceived confidence. Anxiety often manifests in fidgety gestures like hair-touching or leg jiggling. Replace these with steady open palms. Gesture deliberately (but not wildly) to augment speech. Subtly varied gestures make words resonate better than stiff motionless limbs. Communicate assuredness through gestures as naturally as speaking.
#7. Give genuine smiles
Few expressions win others over like an authentic smile. One that reaches your eyes signals joy, self-assurance, and approachability. Smiling not only makes you appear more confident but also boosts your spirits in the process. Just don’t overdo it with perma-grin, which looks disingenuous. Sprinkle in thoughtful gazes and other expressions. When smiles do emerge, let them crinkle your eyes with authentic cheer.
#8. Keep hands out of pockets
Standing with hands shoved in your pockets communicates casual indifference, more appropriate for waiting in line than projecting confidence. Keep hands readily visible and unpocketed while interacting. Clasp them behind your back while listening, or let them hang relaxed at your sides. When speaking, use moderate illustrative gestures. Tuck thumbs in pockets at most but avoid fully concealing hands as it gives the impression that you don’t care about the conversation.
#9. Maintain steady voice
Beyond pacing speech slowly, speak fluidly without uptalk or vocal fry. Uptalk manifests with each sentence ending in a question-like upward lilt. Vocal fry means raspy straining in the lower register. Both trends undermine otherwise confident messaging through voice cracks and imprecise intonation. Record yourself, notice any uptalk/fry, and work consciously to eliminate it. Pure vocal confidence flows in your natural middle range without straining endpoints.
#10. Build confidence from within
Ultimately, confidence starts from within. If you feel secretly anxious or worried about being judged, no amount of squaring shoulders will conceal it. Develop self-assurance through practicing skills, mapping out preparation strategies, and banishing inner critics. External confidence springs naturally from inner calm and growth. Pair constructive thinking with these body language tips for maximum poise and power.
The way we hold and conduct ourselves impacts perceived confidence, at least as much as what we say. Apply these tips during interviews, presentations, dates, and any time assertive body language matters. Walk tall, gesture effectively, and smile authentically. Before opening your mouth, let assured body language convey confidence for you.
Featured image: @andrea.oi/Instagram
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