Use body language to change your mind.
from The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane
Changing your body posture is not faking self-confidence. It’s changing your confidence. By changing the posture of your body, you are changing your mind and your feelings accordingly.
How to Apply This
Try the following body postures to see how they change your mind and feelings:
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Change your body language to mimic someone who is very depressed.
Let your shoulders slump, your head hang, and your face sag. Now, without moving a muscle, try to feel really, truly excited. Go ahead, try to see if you can create any excitement without moving. It’s nearly impossible. -
Now start moving like someone who is really excited.
Jump up and down as if you’ve won the lottery, smile the biggest smile you can, and wave your arms in the air.
Try these psychological changes:
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Imagine that you are a military general—take a wide stance, puff up your chest, broaden your shoulders, stand straight, and confidently put your arms behind your back.
This will improve your confidence and assertiveness. -
Stand up, stretch your hands as high as possible, inhale as much as you can—imagine your rib cage expanding, doubling in size. Make the biggest smile possible and look upward, hold for a second, and then relax everything.
This will boost your energy and warmth.
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