It can be challenging to always be the best version of ourselves in both professional and personal lives when we are dealing with a variety of emotions and anxieties regularly. An effective technique to increase your self-esteem is to give yourself a pep talk, whether it’s before a big presentation or a social event. Even if you don’t feel apprehensive or doubt yourself, talking to yourself while looking in the mirror things like ‘fake it till you make it’ or ‘I am strong and confident’ can do wonders. Try these tips the next time you are unable to communicate clearly to move through life with ease.
Taking care of how you look and feel
Working from home does not require you to dress like a slob all day; in fact, this may be detrimental to your confidence. It’s crucial to take the extra effort to dress up, even if it’s only for a Zoom meeting. Don’t wear something out of the ordinary; instead, dress smartly but comfortably. You might feel more confident around others.
Eye contact
When speaking or listening, maintaining eye contact and gazing directly into your listeners’ eyes will instantly get you points for being attractive. Eye contact, which functions as a cohesive glue, linking you to the person you’re talking to, is the key to having a successful and truly engaging discussion between two people, according to neuroscientists at Dartmouth College.
Speak loud and clear
Speaking aloud doesn’t necessarily imply screaming at the top of your lungs. Instead, choose a tone that is not overly scary and a pitch that is audible to everyone. The way you act, especially when you’re speaking, conveys to people how assured you are and also makes it easier for the conversation to flow.
Ask questions
Asking questions is a great way to create an interesting conversation. Not only will it give the impression that you were actively listening to the other person, but it will also make you appear friendly. This is accurate, particularly when doing interviews. The interviewer will remember you more if you ask them about their job and specifics about the workplace culture. Similarly to this, nodding once in a while while others are speaking demonstrates that you are present and paying attention.
Warm your hands before the handshake
The trick to establishing a good first impression is to rub your hands together before meeting someone. That way, whether you meet a key client for the first time or go on a date, your hands will be warm and dry. Research suggests that warming the hands may lead to feelings of warmth toward other people. If nervousness and worry are making your palms sweaty and clammy, wipe them discreetly in your pockets before shaking hands.
When nervous, chew gum
Try chewing on some gum if you’re feeling anxious about a meeting or nervous about something else. According to psychology, when you’re anxious and irritated, chewing gum fools your brain into focusing on something else, which in turn relaxes you. It will help you to calm down, and then you can think rationally.
Sweat it out
This is an important part of enhancing your self-confidence, but it is difficult to maintain consistency. Did you know that exercise improves blood flow and helps to loosen up tight muscles in your body, alleviating stress and tension? Therefore, start your day with an adequate hour of exercise. It doesn’t matter what it is; as long as you move, you’ll feel a thousand times better about yourself.
Unfinished business, note it down
Have a song that keeps playing in your head? The psychological term for this is the Zeigarnik effect, which implies that your brain will continually remind you of your incomplete tasks. As a result, the song that has been playing in your head like it's on repeat keeps replaying because your brain never actually heard the song end. It is one of the reasons that making a to-do list in writing can help you focus. Simply listen to the complete song the next time a tune keeps playing in your head to clear it.
