We’ve all had problems with our confidence, whether it be for an interview, a date, or your day to day life, and I’ve gathered a few tips to help you be your most confident you.
1.Dress for success.
You’ve heard, “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have,” right? Well it really works. If you look good, you feel good, and other people will notice too. Now before you go getting all crazy on me, I understand that looks aren’t everything. But I can also guarantee that they change the way you feel about yourself every single day. So put on the pair of jeans that make your butt look great, blow out your hair, and swipe on that red lipstick, I promise you’ll keep your head held high!
2. Smile
Smiling is great for confidence because it lets people know you are happy. Whether it be with yourself or with life, it doesn’t matter. All they know is that you are strong and you can take what life throws at you, and you can do it while still flashing that killer smile.
3. Practice makes you perfect
A key to becoming- and staying- confident is stepping out of your comfort zone so often that your zone’s limits are widened. I can practically see all the introverts cringing, and I’m right there with you! However, the whole point of this is to become more sociable, right? So get out there and take chances. You have to understand that those girls or guys who look like they have no cares in the world were once afraid to answer a question in class, just like you. You have to keep trying.
4. No crutches
Unless you broke your ankle doing a double tuck, put the crutches away! This means the books, phones, and anything else that you can use as a barrier against the world. Now I was very guilty of using crutches incessantly. I would put my headphones in and stick my nose in a book. No one would ever bother me. And I liked it that way. But it’s not a good idea to single yourself out like that when you never know what the situation might hold. People need to see that you don’t need something to hold on to when you’re with them.
5. Fake it ‘till you make it
We’ve all heard this one. And that’s because it is the gold mine of self-confidence. If all else fails, pretend you’ve got what it takes. I’ll let you in on a little secret: They will not know the difference. Now I’m not saying march into a lab and start arguing about nuclear physics when you’re an art major. That they might call you on. But I’ve noticed that you can get away with just about anything if you act like you know what you’re doing. This works because 98% of the time, no one else in the room is confident enough to publicly say that they are 100% sure about anything. So they won’t speak up, instead they will doubt what they know.
~Ashley McCourt