Whether you’re about to give a work presentation, have jitters about an
upcoming date, or are preparing to mingle with your billionaire former classmates in a real-life
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion situation, it’s great to know what kind of body language for confidence is best to project. Below, body-language expert
Patti Wood shares how to literally put your best, most confident foot forward.
4 expert tips to use body language for confidence
1. Eliminate barriers between you and other people
“Be awake and aware of the situations where you find yourself protecting yourself, your body,” Wood says. “You might do that with a coffee cup. You might go into the office in the morning with that coffee cup [saying] ‘don’t talk to me.’ It’s protective, it’s defensive, it’s a barrier between you and other people.”
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up your caffeine habit (deep sigh of relief, there). Rather, when it comes to using social shields like the coffee cup, it’s key to pay attention to when, how, and around whom you’re doing it, because you might be unintentionally putting up a wall up between yourself and others. If you’re doing it because the person in front of you is actually dangerous, Wood absolutely supports you going into protective mode. If not, you might be doing it because you lack confidence in this specific scenario. “You can act more confident by taking the barriers down,” she says.
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Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at
www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at
www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
