Confidence – What is it and how do you get it? Part 2: Practical and easy ways to build your confidence in 3 steps If you want real, lasting confidence in any situation it’s going to take a little time to develop. So in the meantime, here are 3 practical ways to begin building your confidence.

Step1: Dress to Impress

How you dress has a great affect on how you feel about yourself. You

are your own strongest critic because there is no one else who is more

conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you wear

the wrong clothes and your hair isn’t done properly, you don’t look good.

When you don’t look good, it totally changes the way you carry yourself

and socialise with other people.

The good news is that you can easily turn all this around so that it works

for you and develops confidence in yourself. All you need to do is take

care of your personal appearance. Major improvements can be made by

doing simple things like wearing aftershave or perfume, being aware of

clothing styles that suit your body shape and age. You don’t need to go

out and spend a fortune on clothes and shoes, you just need to buy the

very best you can afford. A good, high quality pair of shoes may cost

double what you’d normally pay but they’ll last a lot longer and still look

good.

So take a look at your wardrobe today and see what you can change.

Step 2: Walk at least 10% Faster. People who walk fast convey energy,

purpose and confidence. How do you walk? How you walk tells other

people how you feel about yourself. If you walk slowly it gives the

impression you’ve nowhere to go and it’s not important when you get

there.

Confident people walk quickly and with purpose as though they have

somewhere important to go to, even if it’s just going to the coffee

machine. So even if you haven’t got anywhere important to go, begin to

walk quicker than you normally do. Keep it natural without looking as if

you’re rushing for the train. Just notice the normal pace of your walk and

just increase it.

Step 3: Good Posture. Just like walking 10% faster, the way you

actually convey yourself, that is “carry” yourself, gives a message to the

world around you.

When you see someone who slowly shuffles along, with rounded

shoulders and their head lowered – what do you think? Do you think

they exude confidence? Probably not.

Your physiology is connected to your emotional state, there is a

mind/body connection. So posture and how you convey yourself

generally will build confidence and this will be demonstrated to everyone

around you. You’ll feel more alert and empowered. So from today be

aware of your posture. When you stand and walk, keep your back

straight and lift your chin up slightly and fix your gaze forward and ahead

of you – but in a natural way, you don’t want to look like a soldier! Then

notice how confident you feel and practice it until it becomes a habit.

If you have any issues regarding confidence that you’d like me to help

you with, then please contact me for a free initial phone consultation.

You can do so in complete confidence and I can work with you on a 1 to

1 basis or come along to one of my workshops

John Blair – Confidence & Stress Management Coach

To find out more about John Blair, see his profile here:

http://www.yesyoucanchange.co.uk/about-me/profile