Have you ever stood up in front of a crowd of people, fully prepared with what you have to say, but couldn’t say it anyway? That feeling is called stage anxiety, or simply referred to as shyness. It lowers your confidence down to ridiculous levels, making you incapable of getting your message across.
But what If I told you that there is a simple 2-minute hack that drastically reduces shyness on-stage and boosts your confidence? This hack doesn’t require much effort on your part. It doesn’t require weeks of training and preparation. And it doesn’t cost a ringgit.
But before I tell you what it is, first - let’s talk about some science.
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A Chemical Messenger
Research studies from universities such as Harvard University and the University of Texas show that the best leaders in the world not only share similar mindsets, but also similar hormone levels. In particular, powerful and effective leaders tend to have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol.
The connection between testosterone and confidence is evident. As the former’s level increases, so does the latter. Meanwhile, lower levels of cortisol were found to decrease anxiety and lead to an improved ability to deal with stress.
This gives biology a much larger hold on our attitudes than we previously thought. People who naturally have these hormone levels are actually biologically primed to be more assertive, confident, and relaxed. They are generally less shy and more open toward others. At the same time, they’re also able to handle stress more effectively.
But here’s the thing about stuff in our body. Specifically - testosterone and cortisol levels – can change rapidly depending on the social, physical, and environmental cues that surround you. This means that physical cues such as body language can actually make an impact on your hormone levels. And if you understand how to improve your body language, then you can increase your testosterone, decrease your cortisol, and “magically” feel more confident and risk tolerant.
Sounds like magic?
The Almighty Power Pose
Okay, it's not exactly magic, but it comes darn close. We're talking about the Power Pose.
Power posing involves using particular stances or ‘poses’ before a presentation or social scenario to boost one’s confidence. Body-mind approaches such as power posing rely on the body, which has a more primitive and direct link to the mind, to tell you you're confident. The whole concept works based off the science mentioned above.
And it doesn’t just change the way you think about yourself. Adopting the body language of a powerful person also changes the way other people see and act toward you, which in turn further reinforces your confident behaviour. When we display open and friendly body language, other people respond in kind, unconsciously reinforcing not only their perception of us but also our perception of ourselves.
Power poses can be any pose that displays confidence. Usually speakers stick to a few that they know to be effective, and reuse them every time before they go onstage. A quick Google search will land many examples. One particular favourite of ours is the Superwoman pose (or as the kids call it nowadays - the Wonderwoman).
With the Wonderwoman, you place your hands on your hips, spread out your shoulders, and lift your head high. Maintain this pose for up to a minute and release it. Now enjoy the sudden boost in confidence and deliver that smashing speech!
Below are a few examples of good power poses that boost confidence; and low power poses that can have a negative effect on your confidence.
What do you think about this blog post? Do leave a comment and we will reply below. You are also encouraged to start a conversation in the comment section!
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