I used to be really shy! I'm mean really, really shy! I would only speak to someone if they spoke to me first - no word of a lie.
I knew that this couldn't go on for ever as it was affecting my work and career and future happiness, so I set about trying really hard to improve my confidence.
I researched all available material out there and came up with some marvellous tips, which I'm very happy to share with you.
Act The Part The trick to being confident is to act the part.
Even if you are nervous and anxious, you can still appear confident by acting.
Becoming confident is a matter of gaining the right habits and the right thought approach to communicating with others.
Train Your Mind Your mind can be trained to give the impression that you are confident - by thinking confidently.
The more you practice being confident, the more you will naturally exhibit confident expressions.
It should also be noted that the more you physically exude confidence, the more confident you become.
To gain extra confidence, consider your body posture.
If you hold yourself tall and upright and look straight ahead, you will feel more confident in yourself.
It's amazing, but that simple exercise really can benefit your mood and confident approach to any situation.
Giving The Right Signals By giving off the right signals, you can find it easy to communicate the right message.
An air of confidence you exude, can make a huge difference to the impression you give to people around you and can make or break an important meeting or social engagement.
Generally, confident people tend to appeal to people by expressing a relaxed, confident demeanour.
Anyone can attain the same level of confidence with a little practice and patience.
Body Language Signals To Avoid Body language is important in communicating with people.
Some body language signals you should avoid to prevent giving off weak, wimpy looking gestures include submissive gestures such as avoiding eye contact; slouching and hanging your head, which indicated you are shy and unapproachable.
You should also avoid angry and panicky-looking behaviour, which can be taken as a sign that you are not in control.
You should adopt a cool, composed and calm demeanour, especially in stressful situations.
Being Attractive To People Confident people are cool, calm and collected individuals, who exude such confidence in a way that is attractive to people.
In contrast, a negative attitude and a nervous disposition gives the impression that you do not believe in yourself.
By acting confident, you will become more confident in every walk of life.
It is as simple as that.
Try it and keep in mind your posture at all times; you should notice the difference immediately.
Best wishes