How Can I Look More Confident?

Step 1: Speak to inner gremlins

Get rid of those negative thoughts that make you seem more shy and self-conscious. Telling yourself that you are great will reflect in your body language.

Step 2: Realign posture

When you feel shy, you tend to curl up and do barrier gestures, which make your posture seem more negative. Stretch up to your full height, bring your shoulders back and down, arch your back slightly and make sure your weight is evenly divided on both feet.

Step 3: Stress

Stress can tighten jaw muscles, creating a rigid mouth which can affect your speech. Pressing the tip of your tongue into the roof of your mouth will relax your jaw and make your face look more relaxed.

Step 4: Gestures

Use more open and emphatic gestures and stop using body barriers, such as folded arms and legs and other fiddling and self-comforting gestures. Stand with your hands down around waist height, using them to gesticulate rather than fiddle.

Step 5: Denial gestures

Combat the small little facial gestures, such as little shrugs and rolling of eyes that take the confidence out of your speech, especially when talking about yourself.

Step 6: Eye contact

Increase eye contact, look a little bit longer when talking to people, but don't turn it into a stare because a stare looks aggressive.