Confidence Boosters

Confidence has always been one of my Waterloos and public speaking my arch-enemy. In my line of work, I have to communicate with patients, build rapport, speak as a person of authority, and at times conduct presentations on health issues. Most of the time I have no choice but to muster up the courage to stand in front of an audience and talk. I just have to dive into those situations. 

There were some failed attempts and awkward moments, but eventually I learned and is still learning on how to up my confidence game. I also read books and watch presentations on this subject.  So here are few of the confidence hacks I would like to share that might come in handy.

ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK YOUR BEST

Take that extra time to put on your favorite lipstick, fix your hair, and make sure your clothes have no stains. Iron that dress. If you look your best every time you get out there, you will feel better about yourself. You will be surprised how these little details will help. I am not telling you to focus more on your appearance than anything else. It's just that if you put a little effort on looking sharp and dressing well, you will feel good and it will show on your body language and the way you communicate with others.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU

One of the reasons why you feel anxious when talking to other people or when speaking in front of an audience is the constant paranoia of what others will think of you. You constantly ask yourself:

"What if they don't like me?"

"What if they think I am not smart?"

"What if I mess up?"

 It is important to bear in mind that it's not always about you. People think more about themselves and the things revolving around their lives than you. So try to shift your focus from yourself to your audience or better yet, to your presentation and you will do just great.

TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU KNOW 

If given a chance, direct conversations towards topics you are interested in and are well versed with. If you are not good at politics, then don't go bringing up news on the topic as you won't be able to communicate well or worse, you may lose your composure. Instead, talk about something you are passionate about. You will be more relaxed and eager to talk. You will be more likely to share useful information to another person while feeling more confident about yourself. It’s a win-win.

MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO WALK AND TALK WITH CONFIDENCE

Slouching, looking at the floor all the time, poor eye contact, speaking in an inaudible voice --- these are all non-verbal cues of lack of confidence. Even if you don't feel like you are on top of the world at that moment, make a conscious effort to stand tall, establish eye contact, speak loud and clear, and walk with direction. Trust me, you will feel more confident with these tricks.

CHOOSE A ROLE MODEL

It could be anyone, fictional or non-fictional. It would be better if your role model has the traits that you are lacking. Read about them. Watch their videos and speeches. Read their books if they have one. Observe how they carry themselves. When you are faced with a tough situation, always ask yourself, "What would (insert role model's name here) do"

Good luck and I hope these confidence boosters help! There are a lot of confidence hacks out there, but these five are the ones that work for me. Feel free to add to these by commenting down below!