How to Fake It 'Til You Make It

There's a difference between being confident and acting confident, but many people aren't always able to tell it from the outside. If you act confident enough, they will perceive you as a confident person, even if you are shaking with fear on the inside. Here are some tips to fake confidence.

Mind your body language. Your posture and gestures can tell people a lot about how you are really feeling, so they are the first thing you need to work on. Confident people stand up straight and hold their head high. Remember all those Superman posters: the superhero's posture literally oozes confidence. He is an example for you to follow. By the way, research shows that holding such a pose for some time will actually make your feel more confident.

Maintain eye contact. Looking away or down will make you look nervous, shifty or shy, so you need to learn to maintain eye contact. If it makes you feel awkward, you can try watching the person’s chin or nose. However, you should not engage into staring contests. You do need to look away from time to time, otherwise you may come across as too dominating.

Smile. Smile is a key that can open many doors. Most confident people are friendly, and smile is a universal sign of friendliness. Besides, smiling can help you cheat your body. People typically smile when they feel good. So when you start smiling (even if you don't feel like it), your body releases hormones that make you feel good. You just swap cause and effect in order to achieve the desired result.

Keep your strengths in mind and be optimistic. Everyone has their strengths, accomplishments, and successes. You need to keep yours in mind when you need to feel confident. Thinking about everything you've accomplished will be an inspiration for new accomplishments. Being optimistic will also help boost your confidence. Focus on the good things and positive perspectives.

Choose your style. Your style reflects your personality. You don't have to wear an expensive suit or bold jewelry to come across as a confident person. On the contrary, people will instantly notice if you feel uncomfortable in your clothes. You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in. However, you must always look neat and tidy and beware of the dress code when there is any. Don't be afraid to add bright details, for example, colorful socks or unusual accessories. Nice underwear can make you feel confident, too, even though nobody can actually see it.