Have you ever seen Amy Cuddy’s Tedtalk? If you have not check it out in the link below I will be referencing it in the blog so you learn techniques on how to boost your confidence.
Auditing your Pose
Right now examine the position you are sitting in? Are you crunched up, holding your neck, or have your legs crossed? What are you feeling at the moment? How you sit affects your mood and hormones. Sitting in a crunched-up position is a low power position and when we sit in this position it can increase cortisol (hormone for stress) and decrease testosterone (hormone for power).
So do a daily audit on the way you are sitting and how it makes you feel. Then change your position for 2 minutes and see how it makes you feel. This will help you build your confidence. If you ever have an interview, date, or a presentation prior to it for 2 minutes just do the power pose. When you go into the situation you will feel more confident.
Now with everything being virtual, I can do power poses during interviews not just before. I make myself big and stretch out on camera since no one can see what I am doing with my hands and legs. I remember the last interview I did I just sat in a power pose the whole time to give myself confidence and it worked.
This power pose isn’t just for interviews or big moments it’s for any situation you feel a social threat. Going to go cocktail party and are feeling stressed do the power pose before.
Power pose just means expanding yourself. It can be putting your hands up wide or opening your legs. Stretch It out!
Understanding fake it till you become it
Have you ever been in a position where you feel like you are an imposter? That you don’t belong? This is very common in women and is referred to as imposter syndrome. Amy Cuddy in her video talks about continuing going ahead and doing the activity. Basically faking it until you become it. I did this when I was in a supervisor position at work. I had never been in a leadership position before and I was very nervous. But I kept going in telling myself I can do it. I lead meetings and projects until one day I didn’t feel nervous about being the supervisor. I had faked it until I became it.
Now the progress is slow but you need to keep putting in the effort. Eventually, you will reach the stage where you feel less nervous.
Sleep poses
Now the power poses can also be done when you wake up. How do you sleep and what position do you wake up in. Notice that when you wake up tomorrow. Then for 2 minutes just lay in your bed and stretch out. You will see how confident you feel throughout the day. Just give yourself these two minutes. Start your day off right!
Wrap up
Have you tried power poses? Do you think they work? Comment below and let us know if you enjoyed the article on how to boost your confidence.
Reference: Amy Cuddy
