We’re on to Day Three of our mini Jump Start January challenge – how are you getting on so far? Today we’re looking at a couple of quick and easy confidence boosters in an exercise called Walk tall, think big.

The best confidence booster is usually experience, but if you’re in a hurry there are a few ways you can improve your self confidence in the short term too. These are not ‘fake it until you make it’ techniques, as some studies now suggest these can remind us of how unconfident we already are, instead they’re specific, simple ways to change the way we move.

The way we feel is influenced by many factors, including our thoughts, recent events, and behaviours. Our physicality is also a strong influencing factor in many situations, even if we don’t realise this at the time, and by moving our bodies differently we can direct ourselves towards different modes of thinking and feeling.

How to get that quick confidence boost

Today’s activity is to try two different movements and postures to see whether they make you feel more confident. Carry them out at different moments during your day, as and when you feel like it.

ACTIVITY ONE: Take a moment to walk tall or sit up in your seat as this type of posture can affect both your outlook and the way other people respond to you. Every now and again today, hold your head up high and remember not to hunch your shoulders, or imagine there’s a piece of string at the top of your head pulling your spine upwards. It may help to remember to relax at the same time, so that you look happy and confident rather than arrogant.

ACTIVITY TWO: Try a two-minute rockstar pose. Plant your feet widely apart, then reach your arms up high above your head with your fingertips reaching up or your fists clenched. Hold it for a couple of minutes to get the full effect, imagining that whatever you do next, you’re going to do it successfully and with confidence. Think big. This one is best done when you have some privacy, such as at home or in the loo, rather than in a crowded place or an open plan office. 

HELLO LONDON! I’M HERE TO ROCK YOU! *cough*

You may find that one particular confidence trick makes you feel better than the other today, or that it encourages other people to interact with you in a more positive way. If so, make a note, and think about ways you could incorporate it into your regular routines.

By the way, if you have limited mobility at the moment and it’s difficult to walk tall or raise your arms over your head for a couple of minutes, try smiling more today or looking people in the eye a bit more. See whether that changes the way you feel, or the way you interact with other people.

What’s happening here

Yesterday I started to grumble about getting up in the dark, looking out of the window at a cold and leaden sky, a certain company that’s repeatedly badgering me to buy a product I don’t want, and the fact that all of our local coffee shops are still closed for holidays. The first grumble I just had to stop. The second involved a fix of thermal top and thermal tights, the third involved some quick shredding and recycling with a quick mental note of the possibility of a sternly worded letter if it happens again, and the fourth involved going home and making a homemade coffee.

I was surprised that a couple of the grumps went from nought to sixty so quickly on the anger-o-meter, but coming up with fixes or abandoning the minor gripes got easier as the day went along. Looking for solutions is definitely more relaxing so I’ll be trying to continue with this approach from now on.

Meanwhile, I’ll be focusing extra hard on my posture today because I’m going to a lunchtime yoga lesson. No slouching at the back, Golightly… Will be trying out the rockstar pose too before I walk to class, and hope it will boost my energy levels before we all have to get stuck into those asanas.

These are funny little confidence boosters, but they work really well for most people. Give them a go.