Devin Dornbrock Everyone wants to be more confident. Confident people get what they want, and even when they don’t, they can just shake it off and move on to the next thing instead of dwelling on the anxiety. So to help you be more confident, I’ve got a list of the top habits that exude confidence!
Stay Calm & Collected
When it comes to being confident, demeanor is a huge piece of it. No matter the situation, if you can stay cool as a cucumber, you will come off as confident – whether you feel like it or not.
Confident people don’t fly off the handle at every little thing; they typically assess their situation and act accordingly while staying level-headed. Keeping your emotions under control will also allow you to make better decisions. You won’t be blinded by anger or grief. Staying in control of yourself regardless of your surroundings is a huge sign of confidence.
It’s, of course, easier said than done but next time you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed, take a breath and center yourself. Letting your emotions run wild doesn’t help anything.
Be Decisive
Another big part of being confident is acting decisively. Confident people make decisions quickly, and they stick to their decisions without going back and forth worrying about the outcome.
You don’t necessarily have to believe your decision is the right one. You also shouldn’t double down if it turns out you made the wrong decision either. The point is to move forward without letting doubt bog you down.
Instead of second-guessing yourself and your decisions, go with your gut and try to trust yourself. All the time and energy you waste wondering which decision is the right one is much better spent backing up the best decision and following through to make it the right one. Sometimes you’re going to choose wrong, but that’s okay. No one is perfect.
Accept Your Limits
Knowing what you can and can’t do will help you avoid making promises you can’t keep and will help you deliver on the ones you can. You won’t have to struggle trying to do things beyond your means and can keep your head held high since you won’t have to back out of anything or underdeliver.
Accepting your limits is also taking responsibility as needed for your shortcomings, whether that means owning up to mistakes, pushing yourself to do better, or delegating to avoid overwhelming yourself.
Keep Good Posture
Confidence isn’t just a mentality; there’s also a physical element to it. If you think about the most confident people you know, even the ones you don’t, do you think about them with slouched shoulders? No. You imagine someone with a straight spine and a look on their face like they could take on the world.
I know I’m guilty of having horrible posture. At any given moment, I’m sure the curve of my spine looks like a shrimp. Having a sedentary job and probably getting less exercise than I should doesn’t help either, but that’s beside the point.
Confident people have good posture. Shoulders back, chest out, chin up. You’ll get a lot more respect with that kind of posture than if you’re constantly trying to shrink in on yourself. You have the right to exist and take up as much space as you need. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t.
Make Eye Contact
When I say “make eye contact,” I don’t mean it has to be constant. Don’t stare people down trying to appear confident. If you do, you’ll probably come off as crazy and make everyone super uncomfortable.
If you aren’t sure how much eye contact to make or when you should be making it, Michigan State University found that the best amount of eye contact is the 50/70 rule. Make eye contact 50% of the time while speaking and 70% while listening. Maintain it for about four to five seconds when you do.
If you have difficulty making eye contact, try looking between their eyebrows or at their nose. That gives the illusion that you are making it without actually having to stare into someone’s soul. It also solves the problem of trying to pick a single eye if you find yourself too focused on a single point.
Fake It til You Make It
You don’t have to feel confident to look confident. If you can fake confidence, you may trick yourself into believing you are too.
Acting confident even when you aren’t will still let you feel like you are to a certain degree. It may be hard, but you’ll find that people will be more comfortable around you, feel like you can take on more responsibilities, and even believe in your capabilities more.
Lacking confidence doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. A lot of people lack confidence, even when they shouldn’t. Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and it sucks to deal with. Even competent and qualified people will feel out of their depth, especially in professional fields.
If you’ve been struggling with imposter syndrome, you might like this blog we wrote on how you can beat it.
What do you think of when you think of confident people?
