Have you ever wished you could get a shot of confidence before the next big meeting? Well the good news is there’s something out there that will do the trick and it doesn’t require a prescription. In this week’s Fearless in 5, we’ll share five tips that you can use to boost your confidence and fake it to make it.
#1: The first thing that you can do--smile. It doesn’t cost anything and it has the same effect on your body as a cocktail—a cocktail of pills that is. And that’s because it sets off a neurological change in your body that releases happy hormones—that are known as dopamine—and stress relieving hormones that are known as serotonin.
Step #2: Think two. Two seconds that is. Be brief. Researcher Paul Lekmin discovered 25 years ago when studying smiles that a two second smile was the one that seemed the most sincere.
Step #3: Be sincere. How do you do that when you’re faking it? You can smile with what’s called the “duchenne marker.” This is where you raise your cheeks and you get those little wrinkles in your eyes. It was discovered by a French neurologist more than 150 years ago. So there you go. One less thing to worry about—crow’s feet.
Step #4: Keep smiling. And that’s because research shows that when you smile it makes the other person think that you’re more trustworthy.
Step #5: Change your name. No, I’m not talking about actually changing your name. But, in fact, take on a persona of someone that you wish that you could channel the confidence that they have. I’ve used this method myself back when I was a young roving reporter. I had to do my first live shot out in the field, and as people gathered around the camera, I started getting so nervous that I could feel my feet shaking. So I changed my mindset. Rather than being Jenn Tyler, which was my stage name at the time, I was, in fact, Katie Couric—an incredibly confident person who I could relate to and seemed like she was authentic and genuine being a short brunette like I was. In my mindset, I said, if I messed up it wasn’t me, it was Katie Couric, and it worked.
Thanks for joining us for Wet Cement’s Fearless in 5. Now tell us--have you ever faked it? No I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about faking it to make it at work. If so, please share your tips. And to learn more please check out wet-cement.com.