Improve Your Self Confidence in 5 Minutes

Did you know that you can go from feeling feeble to formidable in just a few minutes?

It's true! How confident and capable we feel is often just a state of mind. Something as simple as sinking a paper ball into the wastebasket from 10 feet away can make us feel on top of the world, while something as silly as finding a stain on your tie can crush your spirit.

People often make the mistake of thinking their subjective state of mind is a logical way to look at the world. In reality, lots of different things can influence how we feel from day-to-day.

Case in point: just a few simple exercises are all you need to imbue your body with self confidence. So, the next time you're feeling blah or insecure, try the following techniques to fill yourself to the brim with boldness.

Induce Self-Confidence by Striking a Power Pose

Our posture affects both how we are viewed and how we view ourselves. For instance, throughout the day, our energy levels may deplete, so we slouch. Slouching actually consumes more energy than standing upright, so it makes it hard for us to approach even simple tasks enthusiastically.

On the other hand, striking a power pose can help you restore your energy and feel more in control. The Wonder Woman pose is a classic example, where you stand with feet hip-distance apart, your hands on your hips, your chest out and your chin up, looking for all the world like a superhero.

Other power poses include leaning in with your back straight during a conference and crossing your arms before dealing with a tough situation.

Do Some Quick Yoga

As we said above, tired muscles and bad posture sap your energy. Regain this energy by doing some quick stretches while focusing on your breath. This stress relief routine can help restore your positive feelings and make you feel more in touch with your body. You can also use power poses as an opportunity to stretch out your tired back muscles while you stand up straight.

Meditate

Meditation can be done anywhere and at any time! Simply shut off your senses, focus on your breathing and try to let go of your thoughts.

Music also helps, and Spotify has plenty of meditation playlists to choose from!

Write Affirmations

Affirmations help us fake it till we make it while keeping sight of our goals. Try writing one down on a Post It when you first get into the office, or use a dry erase marker to write one on the bathroom mirror in the morning.

Here's a collection of great affirmations to try.

Embrace Mel Robbins Five Second Rule

Mel Robbins version of the Five Second Rule has nothing to do with eating fallen snacks and everything to do with capturing momentum. In a nutshell, Robbins notes that motivation is hard to come by. Our brains are very good at keeping us in our comfort zones and preventing any sort of activity requiring effort or involving risk.

Her trick is to act within five seconds any time she has the desire to take action or make change. If we dont use those instances where we feel motivated, we can procrastinate literally forever.

You can also try a similar tactic where you count down from ten, and then act. These 10 seconds can psyche us up, just like getting a push out of the airplane before skydiving.

Avoid Time Wasters and Anxiety Inducers

Your best bet when lacking motivation or confidence is to avoid things that keep us 100% distracted. Social media in particular has been proven to make us anxious and depressed when we use it too much. Other time wasters include diving too deep into your inbox.

Instead, find activities that stimulate your brain. Do some puzzles. Read a book. Get some housework done. Even playing a video game is better than passively watching something or spending hours online.

Doing activities like these can restore our confidence by shifting our perspective.

What Do You Do to Feel Confident?

These are just some of our recommendations based on personal experience and expert advice. What about you, though? Do you have any techniques to share, or things you personally know work? Tell us your practices that work for you in the comments below.