If you want to succeed in both your professional and personal life, confidence is an essential trait. It influences not just how others see and treat us, but also how we feel about ourselves.
Unfortunately, there are some habits that can give the impression that you lack confidence.
The good news is that these habits are simple to break, and with a little practice, you may dramatically alter how the rest of the world perceives you!
Let’s start with the first action:
1. Fidgeting
If you frequently feel like:
- Sitting and shifting from one side to the other
- shaking out your legs
- frequent blinking
- Nails on a table or your foot on the ground while tapping
You can be coming across as less self-assured, quite uneasy, and uncomfortable!
It’s advisable to check with your doctor if you suspect ADHD is the cause of your child’s extreme fidgeting, but even so,It might also emerge from nervousness or habit.
Try this:
When you feel like your body has to move more than usual, either sit on your hands to keep them still or squeeze a stress ball.
2. Avoiding making eye contact
Another action that gives the impression that you lack confidence is avoiding eye contact with others throughout a conversation. This makes us appear shifty and uneasy.
Eye contact is crucial for conveying interest and engagement to others. Not only will it give the impression that you lack confidence, but it can also harm the relationships you develop with them.
Try this:
The first step is to make an effort to look into people’s eyes, even if you need to glance away occasionally to prevent it from feeling overly intense (for some, this can be really nerve-wracking). If you truly struggle, at least focus on their nose or forehead; this will still create the impression that you are making eye contact.
3. Using filler words
Do you have a habit of saying things like “um,” “like,” and “you know”?
If so, employing such filler words could give the impression that you lack confidence and are unsure of what you want to communicate. But I understand; especially among our younger generations, the word “like” is used a lot these days.
Therefore, even if you’re not aware of it, it may give the impression that you’re reluctant or nervous.
Try this:
Before speaking, mentally practice the words you’re about to say. If you do make a mistake and accidentally use a filler word, pause, take a breath, and then continue speaking while paying close attention to NOT using the word again.
4. Constantly saying sorry
Sometimes we get the habit of saying sorry (especially if you are from the UK where we apologize to pretty much everyone and everything), but it may also be a major sign of low confidence.
You know, apologizing all the time, especially if you weren’t at fault, gives the impression that you don’t trust yourself or your judgment.
Try this:
Only apologise when absolutely required! Additionally, try to modify your language…Saying “I have a question that I’m not sure about” would be a better option than “I’m sorry if this is a dumb question.”
5. Always being negative
Finally, another behavior that could give the impression that you lack confidence is if you’re constantly pessimistic and see the worst in everything.
You see, people who are upbeat and concentrate on finding solutions rather than issues tend to exude a more secure, calm, and proactive aura.
But people who are perpetually negative and cynical may come across as lacking the self-assurance to improve their circumstances and lead happier lives.
Try this:
First and foremost, get rid of the negative people in your life. It will make a huge impact if you surround yourself with people that inspire and motivate you.
When you do spiral into negativity, it’s crucial to concentrate on finding answers.Practice thankfulness for all the wonderful things in your life rather than focussing on the negatives!
6. Interrupting others
Interrupting conversations can make you appear unsure of yourself, but it can also make you seem unpleasant.
It is probably not what you mean in the majority of circumstances.
But in actuality, when we interrupt someone, it may mean:
We don’t care what the other person is saying and we worry that we won’t be heard.
If you see yourself doing this, don’t worry—this is another behavior that is simple to break since we lack confidence in our ability to listen and respond.
Try this:
If you’re concerned that waiting for the other person to finish would cause you to forget what you meant to say, make a mental note or, if you can, write it down fast.
Before you speak, take a deep breath to give yourself a chance to check to see if the other person is still talking or if their speech has paused long enough for you to share your perspective.
