Be confident. You’ve likely heard that advice more than once in your life. And though you may understand the general idea behind those two simple words, the actual process of how to be more confident isn’t as easy to grasp.
Even if you’ve achieved some semblance of confidence in certain aspects of your life (work, for example), it can be difficult to have confidence when life throws an unexpected challenge your way.
How To Be More Confident Every Day
1) Power Pose Your Confidence Into High Gear
Never underestimate the power of body language. An easy trick to boost confidence in any situation is to power pose. By posing in a strong, open position and pretending to be powerful, you can actually “self-talk” your mind into feeling confident.
In a recent TED talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy explained how to use power poses just a few minutes before you need a confidence boost. She recommended standing with both hands in the air and feet spread wide. The goal is to take up as much space as possible. For two minutes, pump your fists up and down and visualize yourself succeeding.
You’ll be amazed at the confidence you can achieve with this simple exercise. Try it before a date, an interview, or a challenging conversation with your mother-in-law.
2) Trust What You’ve Learned
The advice, “trust what you’ve learned,” is incredibly important and well worth believing. The simple fact is that with age comes experience. And experience matters because it gives you the ability to anticipate what’s around the next corner even before you’ve turned it. No, you can’t see the future, but you’ve been down similar roads many times in the past. All it takes is a bit of confidence in the knowledge you’ve gained along the way.
Instead of questioning what you know, trust your instincts. Reaffirm your skills by taking a few minutes each day and saying to yourself, “I value my experience, and I can tackle any situation.” Never forget that your experience is worthwhile.
3) Boost Your Confidence With Endorphins
The inimitable Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don’t kill their husbands.” Simplicity aside, there is a grain of truth hidden under all that comedy.
Yes, exercise makes you look better on the outside, but it can also have a profound effect on your outlook and behavior. Even a quick 20-minute exercise can boost your mood, improve your body image, and leave you feeling accomplished. In fact, it’s been shown that women believe they look healthier after exercising, even if no real health benefits were achieved during the workout.
4) Wear Your Confidence On Your Sleeve
Style is a work in progress that, like everything else, changes over time. Case in point: that mini skirt you wore when you were 21 isn’t the statement you want to make when going to dinner at a five-star restaurant. Your style has changed.
What does that have to do with the question of how to be more confident? As you age and experience more of life’s important moments—business meetings, expensive lunches, first dates, last dates, holidays with the in-laws—your style should adapt to the situation at hand. When you’ve matched the right outfit to the right occasion, you’ll feel confident no matter what you’re doing.
But before you run out and spend a month’s salary on a new wardrobe, understand that you don’t need to throw away big money to look good. Splurge on a few timeless pieces that are true to your style (and that you love). But remember that dressing the part can be achieved just as easily by wearing something that matches your personality and body type.
5) Be Confident With Beautiful Skin
The area from your face to your décolletage is what people first see when they meet you. Because of this, the health of your skin can affect your confidence. And as you age, you may start to see crepey skin and wrinkles in places that were once silky smooth.
Fortunately, skin care products have advanced significantly in recent years, and there are now more options than ever before. From moisturizers and hydrators to anti-inflammatories and brighteners, the right product with the right ingredients can make you look and feel healthier.
Couple that with good-for-you practices like eating nutritious foods, meditating, sleeping on your back, and sleeping with silk sheets or a silk eyemask, and you’ve got an excellent recipe for looking amazing and feeling confident in any situation.