Body language strategy is very important for your life! Take a break from reading and take note of how you’re sitting or standing. What happened to your arms? What is your facial expression? What assumptions might someone make about you based only on your body language if they walked into the room right now?
Think again if you don’t believe your body has its own language.
Body language communication and how others see you.
Gestures, posture, facial expressions, and eye movements are all examples of this. It’s possible that your body language reveals your genuine feelings or intentions. You may be weary, furious, bored, annoyed, or enthusiastic, yet some of these emotions may not be appropriate to express in a certain scenario.
Do you really want your boss to know that his speech is causing you to squint?
Understanding and controlling your body language increases your self-assurance in two ways. First, you gain good feedback and feel certain that you aren’t hurting your own success or others’ opinions by controlling your body language and conveying suitable signals in specific situations.
More significantly, when you use powerful, positive body language, your brain receives messages that promote pleasant, confident feelings.
Self-assured body language truly makes you feel more self-assured.
1. Dress with self-assurance in mind.
Subjects who wore doctors’ lab coats scored higher on attention-related activities than those who did not, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Clothing does have an impact on how we see ourselves and how others see us.
Dressing boldly entails more than just following the latest fashion trends. In all scenarios, it’s about feeling good, looking poised, and being self-assured. It’s also about conveying the proper message to others around you. When you dress appropriately for the occasion, know the audience, represent your particular style, and grasp the influence of color, you may enhance your confidence in yourself and your clothes.
Is your outfit boosting or detracting from your self-assurance? Do you frequently find yourself dressing sloppily or inappropriately for the occasion?
Even if you are feeling depressed, dressing well will boost your confidence.
Look through magazines or blogs to find what you like and create your own distinctive style. Read more about the effects of wearing certain colors. If required, invest in a few classic pieces that make you feel confident and powerful to add to your wardrobe.
2. Maintain a firm handshake.
A strong, solid handshake is a global gesture of confidence and should be used by everyone, especially women. A firm but not crushing handshake should be extended with a cool, dry hand and a few up and down shakes, as well as a few seconds of eye contact. It is an indication of both parties’ mutual respect and offers a wonderful first impression. The opposite effect is produced by a sweaty, limp, ‘dead fish’ handshake.
A firm handshake, whether or not you feel confident, will increase your feelings and make others perceive you as more confident.
Have a few individuals you trust to evaluate your handshake. Make a mental note of your hold, the feel of your palms, whether you properly pump their hand, and whether you make eye contact. Take note of their suggestions, and practice your new handshake with strangers.
3. Make use of active body language.
Engaged body language offers you greater confidence and conveys powerful messages to others
to win them over if you want to reach an agreement, win the lady, or persuade someone to your side of the story. Open gestures, smiling and nodding, and matching the other person’s attitudes and actions are all examples of engaged body language. Once you’ve achieved your objective, seal the sale with a solid handshake, a sincere “thank you,” and decent posture.
Consider upcoming circumstances in which you’ll need to reach an agreement or persuade someone. Use engaged body language to prepare for the interaction. Practice duplicating faces and movements in everyday conversation so you’re comfortable with it before your big encounter.4
4. Make an effort to smile.
Smiling, not only makes you more handsome/ beautiful and trustworthy, but it also benefits your health, reduces stress, and boosts your self-esteem. Smiling calms the body and slows the heart, while also releasing endorphins that counteract and reduce stress chemicals. It’s also been proven to boost productivity while doing jobs.
Several studies have found that smiling can fool your brain into thinking you’re happy, even if you’re upset.
Stand in front of your mirror and grin at yourself first thing in the morning. Yes, you’ll feel silly, but give yourself a minute or two to smile to yourself. Practice smiling in your car or at your desk while you’re alone. Recognize the influence that smiling has on others, and make a conscious effort to smile more often with others.
5. Pay close attention to your posture.
When you sit or stand in a position that puts the least amount of strain on your supporting muscles and ligaments, you are practicing excellent posture. Your back is straight, your back rests against the back of the chair, your feet are flat on the floor, and your knees are bent at a correct angle as you sit. You should be able to draw a straight line from your earlobe to your shoulder, hip, knee, and the middle of your ankle while standing.
Good posture is critical for avoiding back and neck pain, preventing muscular pains,
and maintaining a normal alignment of your bones and joints. It ensures proper breathing by opening airways, allowing all of your organs and tissues to work effectively. A confident personality is also reflected in good posture. You appear self-assured and composed when you stand straight, shoulders back, and head held high.
As you read this article, take note of your posture. Do you have your back bowed, neck forward, and shoulders hunched in your chair? Correct posture should be practiced while sitting and standing. Examine yourself in the mirror and make any modifications so that your body is in good alignment.
Wear a wristband or any other physical reminder to remind you to stand or sit up straight. Request that a family member observes your posture and make a comment when it is poor. Before you walk into a room full of people or a conference, make sure your posture is perfect.
6. Make use of powerful positions.
According to social scientists discovered that standing or sitting in particular stances for just two minutes enhances testosterone levels and lowers cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
These poses can have an impact on your business performance, client relationships, and personal connections.
Many of the positions require you to open your body and take up space, making you feel more powerful and confident. The research has broad implications for people who experience emotions of helplessness and low self-esteem as a result of their hierarchical status or a lack of resources.
Select two or three positions that you can practice on your own or in business situations when you want to appear and feel more strong. For a few weeks, practice these poses every day until they feel natural.
7. Stop fidgeting with your hands.
Over 500 managers polled by Adecco USA, a workforce solutions provider, indicated fidgeters make up one-fifth of the individuals they’ve turned down for a job. They thought it showed a lack of confidence and preparedness for the interview. Fidgeting, such as spinning one’s hair, shaking one’s foot, or chewing one’s nails, is a common symptom of worry and tension.
These anxious motions detract from what you’re saying and divert attention away from your message. Avoid caressing your face or neck, as this can also suggest anxiety.
Fidgeting gives a loud and clear message that you aren’t confident.
Do you have a habit of fidgeting regularly? Have there been any previous comments about these actions? Start paying attention to how you fidget and what causes you to do so. When you’re confronted with a trigger, consider what you can do to replace these fearful habits.
You might keep your hands in your lap, utilize gestures with your hands when speaking, or use a pen and paper. Place both feet flat on the floor if your foot or knee shakes. Take a few deep, soothing breaths whenever you feel the want to fidget or have nervous energy.
8. Make eye contact that is acceptable for the situation.
Make eye contact to show you’re honest, engaging, and personable. It gives your encounters a sense of intimacy and confidence, and it makes the other person feel more optimistic and connected to you. Too much eye contact, on the other hand, can give the impression that you’re aggressive or even odd. When eye contact shifts from looking to staring, people become uneasy and their sympathetic nervous system is activated.
In order for eye contact to feel good, one person cannot impose his visual will on another it is a shared experience
If you’re nervous about making eye contact, practice with family and friends to become used to it. Ideally, you should look them in the eyes for roughly 50–60% of the talk. Look to the side rather than down when breaking eye contact. Lower-status, embarrassment, and/or surrender are all signified by looking down. Practice eye contact with individuals at work or in public as you gain confidence with it with family and friends.
9 Keep your arms and legs in mind.
Crossing your arms denotes a defensive, self-protective, and closed-off attitude. Crossing your legs away from another person can imply that you hate or are uncomfortable with them. Unless you’re a woman who was raised to do this as a ‘ladylike’ position, crossing your ankles can indicate that you’re holding something back and not expressing it.
You could be expressing boredom, anxiety, or even anger by clasping your hands behind your back.
A self-comforting gesture with hands clasped and crossed over the genitals conveys weakness or shyness. Others can tell whether you’re bored, impatient, or frustrated by tapping your fingers and fidgeting. Start paying attention to how you move your arms and legs in different settings. When your arms and/or legs are crossed, pay attention to how you feel.
What does the other person say or do, and why are you protective or walled off? Begin to shift your arms and legs into different positions. When you’re seated, keep your hands in your lap, and when you’re standing, keep them by your side. It’s fine to cross your legs at the knee for comfort as long as you don’t cross your arms.
Remember to Spread out and feel confident.
We tend to take up less space when we are insecure. Distressed persons may wrap their arms and legs into their own body, nearly fetal form, under extreme conditions. Uncomfortable conversations and interviews can result in a number of withdrawn postures, such as arms entwined like a pretzel and/or ankles locked in place, which can be unpleasant to the observer.
Look for abrupt changes in body position that could indicate dishonesty, especially if they happen at the same time as a specific change in topic. Those made palm down is more emphatic and confident than statements made in the rogatory position with palms palm up.
When we are certain of what we think or what we are saying, we prefer to sit up straight, shoulders and back wide, and in an erect, secure posture.
When people are being deceptive or outright lying, they instinctively slouch or sink into the couch, as if wanting to avoid what is being said—even if they are saying it themselves.
Those who are uncertain about themselves, their opinions, or their beliefs are more likely to show it in their posture—usually by stooping slightly, but occasionally more dramatically by lowering their heads and pulling their shoulders up to their ears. When people are uncomfortable and seeking to hide in the open, look for the “turtle effect.” It’s unmistakably a sign of insecurity and unease.
As you read, body language is an important aspect of communication and or relationships. Wish you the best of luck learning your new language.