How to appear confident

In today's world, the ability to come across as confident is so essential for a whole host of activities, from landing a date to securing your dream job. However, many of you struggle with appearing confident. Not everyone has the ability or belief in themselves to come across as confident. You may have heard of the "fake it until you make it" approach, and there is certainly something true in this phrase. Here are a few tips on how to appear confident, even when you are not:

Watch your body language

One of the most basic changes you can make is in how you hold yourself. Often when you are feeling a lack of confidence, you have the tendency to slouch or fiddle. Simply by standing up straight and using positive hand gestures, you can instantly appear more confident. If you don't believe it, get a friend or family member to come into a room with two different postures and then determine which posture looks more confident than the other.

Maintain eye contact

Maintaining eye contact can be difficult. However, if you master this, you will appear much more confident. You do not need to continually look the person in the eye, as this may appear unnatural. The best approach is to try and match the eye contact of the person with whom you are speaking. Positive eye contact will also ensure that you feel in control.

Think of yourself as confident

You will appear more confident if you fill your head with positive thoughts about yourself. If you are about to go into an interview, rather than focusing on what you don't know, instead think about any positive feedback you have had in the past regarding your skills/strengths. Focusing on your positive aspects should help you come across as confident during the interview. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is likely that others will also pick up on this. If you want to be confident, start by thinking positive thoughts about yourself and your skills. Remember any compliments you have received in the past, and use these to help boost your confidence. It may take some practice, but eventually, you should be able to project confidence even in situations that make you nervous. Confident body language is also essential. Try to avoid fidgeting, and keep your posture relaxed yet open. Avoid crossing your arms or legs, as this can make you appear defensive. Instead, try to keep your hands visible and use them to gesture when you are speaking.

Speak slowly

It can be very easy to speak at a rapid pace when you are feeling nervous since you want to get through the event that is making you feel that way, such as a job interview or a first date. However, rapid speech can cause you to come across as nervous. Proactively trying to slow down your speech helps you to appear calm and confident. A fantastic course offered by Oxbridge is Effective Communication Level 2. When feeling nervous, it is important to focus on your breath. Taking deep breaths helps to relax your body and mind, which can slow down your speech. If you find yourself speaking quickly, take a moment to pause and take a few deep breaths before continuing. It can also be helpful to practice speaking slowly in everyday conversations. This will help you to get into the habit of speaking at a slower pace, making it more likely that you will be able to do so when you feel nervous. Additionally, If you have an interview coming up or you wish to learn some new skills, consider taking Oxbridge's free online Job Ready courses.