How To Feel More Confident

Confidence is the single most attractive quality in either gender. More than anything else, people are always attracted to someone with a bit of self-confidence, who isn't nervous or shy in social situations. This of course is not to be mistaken with cockiness, or being a show-off. Here are some tips on how to not only appear more confident, but feel more confident as well.

Wear Nice Clothes

Everyone feels more confident in clothes that fit well. You look better and feel more attractive, regardless of how good looking you might be. Which in my case isn't very.

Stand Up Straight

Slouching when you walk gives the impression that you don't have a lot of confidence, and people actually won't approach you as much because you aren't giving off a very welcoming vibe.

Don't Look At The Ground When Walking

And the same goes for looking at the ground. Walk with your chin up and look straight ahead of you. Now obviously don't act like a robot with your eyes fixed on one point a hundred yards ahead of you, but even that is preferable to constantly staring at your feet.

Learn To Laugh At Yourself

People respect other people that don't take themselves too seriously, and that can laugh at themselves. When you laugh along with other people, it makes it a much more shared experience, with people laughing with you as opposed to at you. You won't give off the impression of being embarrassed, and really appear to be confident in yourself.

Eye Contact

Again, like when you walk with your head up, I'm not saying that you should have a staring contest with everyone that you talk to. But when you do talk to them, make eye contact, naturally. People respond well to this and feel more engaged in the conversation with you.

Put Yourself Out There

This applies to any social situation where you may not know a lot of people. Don't just stand in the corner awkwardly waiting for someone to talk to you. Chances are you'll just look too awkward to approach. Instead just take the plunge and go and talk to someone who looks nice. And yes I realise that this is one of the harder things to do on this list.

Smile (But Not In A Creepy Way)

Smiling at people makes you appear more welcoming, and confident. Just try not to unnerve people when you do it. Have a natural smile.

Speak Clearly And With Purpose

Confident people believe what they're saying will be interesting, because they wouldn't be saying it either. I'm not saying that everything you say should be something deep and profound about the meaning of life, but even trivial stuff can still be interesting, so say it as if it is.

Exercise

Exercise improves your skin, releases endorphins, improves your posture, and does so much other good stuff that I don't have space to mention. But even just adding these three things to your life can only improve your confidence and actually just make you feel better about yourself in general.

Have A Firm Handshake

First impressions depend a lot on someone's handshake. Limp handshakes weird people out, myself included.

Accept Compliments Graciously

When someone pays you a compliment, just say "thank you", and leave it at that. Don't disagree with them or anything like that, they said it to you because they meant it, so just accept it.

Don't Be Afraid To Take Up Space

What I mean by this is that when you sit down, or are standing up, don't be afraid to sit comfortably. Obviously this doesn't mean stretching out on the couch at a party and not letting anyone else sit down, but don't go to the other extreme and sit with your head down, your knees together and your arms folded. Again, you want to be as welcoming as possible to people.

Have Your Own Opinion

If you're having a conversation with a group of people, don't be afraid to speak your mind, and don't just agree with everyone else. Nobody likes a yes man, and people will respect you for having your own opinion.