5 Ways to Look More Confident

Confidence isn’t just about how you feel; it’s also about how you appear to others. Many assume confidence is something you’re born with, but it’s actually a skill you can learn. Research shows that confidence boosts productivity, encourages risk-taking, and is key to career advancement. People who seem more confident are often viewed as more competent, even over those who may achieve more but don’t project self-assuredness.

So while feeling confident is essential, looking confident is equally – if not more – important. Here are five effortless, research-backed tips to help you appear more confident and, ultimately, feel more powerful at work every day

5 Ways to Look More Confident:

1_ Posture

When you’re feeling insecure, your body naturally takes on a position of low power. You feel like shrinking, and your body does too.

So, the first tip, which is always a given but always worth repeating, is to make sure that you have a tall and powerful posture. Here’s how you can get started:

_First, stand up as tall as you can: imagine that there’s a string attached to the center of your head and someone is pulling it upwards.

_Second, pull your shoulder blades down and back as far as possible: now this might initially feel a little strange if you’re spending most of your days hunched behind a computer or on your phone, but you’ll get used to it.

_Third, pick up your chin and look straight ahead: making a conscious effort to keep your gaze in front of you instantly projects self-assuredness.

A 2010 study by researchers from Harvard and Columbia universities found that closed body language, like slouching and hanging your head, actually lowers your testosterone, raises your cortisol (the stress hormone), and makes you feel less powerful. Open body language, like what I just took you through, does the opposite and makes you exude confidence, authority, and poise. It’s actually really good for your body too.

2_ Smile More

Studies have shown that smiling can make you happier and immediately uplift your mood. Why? Well, because each time you smile, your brain throws a little feel-good party. Smiling actually activates the muscles in your face that tell your brain to release endorphins, our happy hormones.

Christine Clapp, a public speaking expert at George Washington University, explains the benefits of smiling on both whoever is speaking and those listening. She says smiling not only makes your voice more pleasant to listen to, it also conveys confidence. You will appear friendly, approachable, and composed.

3_ Speak Slowly and Clearly

I’ve noticed that when people feel nervous or when they’re under some sort of pressure, like giving an important presentation at work, they speed up how quickly they speak. You might have even noticed this in yourself.

When you speak fast, this reflects nerves, feelings of insecurity, and sometimes a lack of self-control. So, speaking in a controlled, relaxed, and composed way, and strategically using pauses when appropriate, ensures that people see you as confident and can actually keep up with what you’re saying.

4_ Walk with Confidence

Did you know that your walk can actually project confidence? Studies looking at biological motion patterns, which basically look at how people walk, have found distinct differences in people’s movement based on their emotions, and this shapes how they’re viewed by others.

A 1995 study from the Journal of Ethology and Sociobiology found that, on average, walking faster leads to a perception of higher status. So, if you’re a slow walker, or if your choice of footwear or outfit doesn’t allow you to walk with purpose and pace, maybe it’s worth trying something different to see if it gives you more freedom with how you move.

Another point to be aware of here is that women often tend to take smaller steps than men, partly because we’re often physically smaller, but it’s also just something that we tend to do. Striding with slightly longer steps shows that you’re purposeful and you know where you’re going, which does project confidence. Now, this doesn’t mean taking such large strides that you look ridiculous, but just amending your walk subtly can have a really large impact on how you’re perceived.

5_ Eye Contact

This one is really simple but really effective, so I’ve included it as one of the tricks as a reminder. According to Lillian Glass, a body language expert and author of The Body Language Advantage, strong eye contact is the single greatest indicator of confidence.

It establishes a connection, it shows sincerity, it projects self-esteem, assertiveness, and confidence. And combined with some of the tricks I’ve already covered, appropriate eye contact can also make you appear more likable, more attractive, more attentive, trustworthy, and memorable.

So when you’re at work, in meetings, when you’re interacting with co-workers, or having a conversation with your manager, make sure that you’re using eye contact effectively. It has a huge amount of power. And if you’re using a virtual setting, like a video conferencing platform, this just means looking directly into the camera when you’re speaking. For those who are watching you and listening to you, it will appear like you’re making direct eye contact.

So there you go—five research-based tricks to make you appear more confident that will ultimately also increase how competent you’re seen to be.