Confidence. It’s arguably the sexiest thing about a person. From believing in your business idea to owning your weird sense of humor, being confident is about one thing and one thing only — owning it.
I remember flipping through magazines when I was younger thinking, “She looks like this, I want to look like this,” and “She’s wearing that, I want to wear that.”
I did it in real life too, looking at women on the street with serious, solemn faces thinking, “Okay, that’s what confidence looks like.” And in the next beat see someone who was laughing and smiling and decide that must be what confidence is.
I now know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to confidence — that being confident is about owning who you are and embracing what makes you different.
As we get older, we realize our quirks are what makes us awesome.
There are times when we feel on top of the world confident and times when we feel low as dirt confident. The question is, how do we get our confidence groove back once we’ve lost it?
While there are a variety of factors attributing to our state of confidence, like our environment and our relationships, there are a few key things we can do to feel, as the title promises, instantly confident.
From the latest wellness research conducted, I’ve rounded up a few fool-proof ways to up your confidence game.
(1) Stand up straight.
And sit up straight. Body language is more powerful than any words you speak. Good body posture deems you a person of utmost confidence who has respect for herself and her audience.
Renowned fitness expert and Queen of Abs Denise Austin recently spilled her favorite wellness tip with Off The Gram in an episode titled “Toning Tummies While Breaking Glass Ceilings.”
Her fitness secret? Stand up straight. Not do a thousand crunches a day, but stand up straight, as having good posture tucks the tummy in and allows you to breathe properly. This inadvertently translates to higher self-esteem and confidence.
(2) Walk with purpose.
Are your shoulders slumped as you walk across the street or are they square and perky? Do you shy away from the camera or lean toward it? The energy you give off when walking into a room matters.
Jake likes to mock my swag walk (it’s just my regular walk) by putting his nose up in the air, swinging his arms, and sucking in his cheeks (as we fashion people do), but it’s just the way I walk.
Because confidence is all about owning it, I own my snobbery walk. Walk with purpose.
(3) Dress yourself tall.
I can’t tell you how many people think I’m taller than I actually am because of the way I dress. I hear it all the time. “You’re only 5’3?!” It’s because of the way I dress and position myself.
I make myself leaner and linear by wearing long pieces like kimonos and tunics and dusters. Monochromatic dressing (dressing head to toe in one color) is another smart way to dress yourself tall.
(4) Unclench your jaw.
I’m reminded of this one during spin class. We clench our jaws (and even our fists) a lot without realizing it, mostly due to stress and anxiety. Whatever negative thought or worry you have in your mind will always show up in your body.
When you feel yourself tighten up (before an intense meeting or awkward conversation for example), take a deep breath and drop your shoulders.
Your whole body will feel relaxed and that anxious feeling will be replaced with one of relaxation.
(5) Open your eyes wider.
The eyes are windows to the soul, as they say. When your eyes are droopy, you’re communicating to the world that you don’t give a damn. And nothing is more unattractive than that.
When you’re feeling sleepy or annoyed at a time when you need to be alert, flutter your eyelashes and open your eyes wider. This is a powerful mental reset that wakes you up and puts you into a place of positivity and productivity.
Thank you for reading! See you next week.
Keep being you. A more confident you.
Xo, Ashley
