How to be Confident

Hey Psych2Goers! Have you ever entered a room full of unfamiliar faces and frozen up? Or felt a sudden urge to leave? For some people, confidence—when you feel self-assured and know that you can face any uncertainty—doesn't come easily. So, with that said, here are 6 ways to appear instantly more confident. **Number 1: Face your fears head-on.** Do you stop yourself from taking part in a new experience because you feel scared? Feeling afraid of something dangerous is your mind's way of protecting you from harm. But your brain can also delude you into feeling fearful over harmless things too, like public speaking. Allowing fear to overcome you stops you from fully realizing your dreams. Confidence doesn't grow from inaction, but from being able to make a move despite the fear. **Number 2: Embrace failure.** Are you hard on yourself when you make a mistake? Failure is the stepping stone to success. No one ever becomes a master at something before becoming a beginner. And being new at something entails failing at something once, twice, even a hundred times. By accepting failure, you'll learn what works and what doesn't, giving you more confidence in the decisions you make. Don't allow failure to stop you from trying. **Number 3: Speak with clarity.** Do you speak quietly or maybe too fast? The way you speak is one way that can make or break how you look in front of others. By bumbling, muttering, or trailing off, listeners may not buy into your words, which could lead to doubt about what you're trying to convey. Take the time to say your words slowly and clearly. Practice articulating your words, and maybe even listen to an audio recording of yourself to get a feel for how you speak. **Number 4: Mind your body language.** Are you mindful of how you present yourself in front of others? Your body language plays a big role in how you project confidence, from the way you stand to the position of your hands. Are your arms crossed? You may come across as disinterested. Is your foot facing away from the speaker? Some may think that you want to leave the conversation right away. Instead, you could perhaps follow some positive, approachable, and self-assured behaviors, such as maintaining appropriate eye contact and mirroring the other person's body language naturally. **Number 5: Question your doubt.** Have you ever thought you weren't good enough? Doubt is one way of protecting yourself from the pain of failure, but it also leads to inaction. Doubt can come in the form of limiting beliefs, like "I'm not good enough," or "I keep messing up." Notice those feelings, and question why they came up when they arise. It may be easy to look at the bad side, but by focusing on positive outcomes, you can trick your mind into believing that doing that scary thing may be achievable after all. **Number 6: Take a deep breath.** During a tense moment, you may activate your fight, flight, or freeze response. This can cause you to unknowingly hold your breath, or speed it up. When you realize your breathing has changed, do your best to calm down. Notice your breath. Start by inhaling deeply, then move it to your stomach as your diaphragm expands, then exhale out. If you're alone, you can try breathing exercises to boost your overall mood too, which can help clear your thoughts and bring them back to the present moment. So, have you learned new ways to become more confident? Do you have any suggestions that haven't been covered? Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Please note the references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Also, remember to like and subscribe!