13 Tiny Hacks That Trick You Into Becoming Wildly Confident
We all have confidence — the hard part is bringing it out.
Porechenskaya | Canva I struggled with understanding confidence for years, let alone having it. It took me many years of awkward interactions and self-doubt to eventually sprout a pair of ... wings. I learned that confidence is unearthed. We all have it when we’re relaxed. But there are certain things we can do to hack our bodies and minds to trigger this feeling of confidence.
Here are 14 tiny hacks that trick you into becoming wildly confident:
1. Walk and sit with a fraction more pride in your posture.
Studies show that posture can affect our physical chemistry and sense of self.
2. Commit to rising above the masses.
The masses are average for a reason. And they’re mostly miserable. Set a high target and then take steps to literally become the kind of person you need to be to live that goal. Your goals are for the here and now, not tomorrow.
3. Send a friend a funny audio message.
Man, I can’t tell you how much my silly antics with audio lifts me. I’m just being goofy, doing impressions and silly voices. This has become my go-to mood lifter.
4. Take five shallow nose breaths.
Do it now. Watch how your mood lifts in this short window. What’s happening? Your mind is stilling; your vagus nerve activates, and optimism lifts.
5. Think less.
It’s easy to believe we need to control our lives through incessant analysis. Chill for a moment. When we cloud our minds with all of this clever thinking, we block the inner creative flow. Confidence appears when we’re relaxed in mind and body.
6. Move.
Any kind of movement is better than stewing and working ourselves into a frustrated stupor. Go for a walk, run, or paint a picture. Happy humans were made to move.
7. Get bodyful.
Mindfulness is all the rage, but have you heard of sitting in silence and getting bodyful? Connect with all your physical senses through observation. Watch your frustrations dissipate as your body relaxes. This is an exercise about being there for you and connecting with you. It’s about feeling your confidence rising. Try it now. You don’t need to look for that confidence. It’s already there.
8. Decide to stop being whiny.
We make it too easy for ourselves to slip into immature habits that diminish us. Just refuse to be weak. There’s tremendous strength in merely making this decision.
9. Create something.
Creating is the literal expression of a confident soul. So create. This includes reaching out to say hi. It includes making music and writing. It means knocking off an item on your to-dos. Start small if you need to, and see how you feel when you choose to create overreact.
10. Dance.
Dancing, especially if it’s by yourself, might seem goofy. But it’s one of the most empowering things you can do. Life is tough and often mundane. The easy route is to be Mr Serious. Far more courage is required to loosen your hips and groove. This will send ripples of energy through every vein.
11. Journal on what’s working.
Sometimes confidence is diminished because we spend so much time focusing on the bad stuff in our lives. That’s normal. But you need to buck that trend. Journaling is a great way to change perceptions. List out what’s good right now.
Photo: mimagephotography / Shutterstock
12. Quit blaming.
I get it. It feels empowering to shift the blame for your perceived losses onto others. And in some cases, yes, maybe others did play a role. But who cares? You ultimately lose when you pitch yourself as a poor widdle victim. Snap out of it and take responsibility.
13. Draw a line in the sand.
Journal out how you will shed your old skin, take on powerful new habits, and set a course for an exciting goal that requires nothing but transformation in you. Merely planning this will connect you to your true, confident self.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.