How To Hack Your Confidence In Just 2 Minutes

There is a confidence hack that you can do boost your confidence, reduce anxiety and lower your stress levels.

It’s the cheapest, easiest life hack you’ll ever find and it’ll only take you two minutes to do.

So here we go…

YOUR HORMONES AND YOUR CONFIDENCE

Research from many leading universities has recently revealed that successful leaders not only share similar mindsets, but they might also have similar hormone levels. Specifically, successful leaders tend to have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol.

A higher level of testosterone has a positive impact on self-confidence while reduced levels of cortisol has a positive impact on your anxiety levels and your ability to cope with stress. These positive effects are the same for both men and women.

What that means is that if you naturally have these hormone levels, you are biologically primed to feel more self-confident and assertive. Furthermore, you are able to handle yourself better in high pressure situations as your ability to cope with stress is increased. Simply put, the right hormone levels can help you cope with stress and feel more confident.

Sounds great right?

What is even more intriguing about testosterone and cortisol is that your levels of each hormone can change rapidly depending on the social, physical and environmental triggers around you.

But what does this all have to do with self-confidence?

Well that’s where the magic comes in. One of these physical triggers that impact those hormone levels is your body language. So if you understand how to influence your body language, you can increase your testosterone, decrease your cortisol and feel more confident and relaxed as if by ‘magic’.

Let’s have a look at this link between body language and confidence…

CONFIDENCE HACKS: THE “POWER POSE”

Amy Cuddy is a prominent researcher at Harvard University who specialises in body language and the impact it has on an individual.

When studying the impact of body language on hormones, Cuddy and her team identified different poses that are classed as “high power” or “low power”. High power poses are generally open and inviting while “low power” poses are closed off and protected.

The image below shows the different types of power poses:Cuddy and her team studied the effect of high power and low power poses on 42 students.

Here’s how it went….

First, a saliva sample was taken from each student and their testosterone and cortisol levels were measured.
Next, the student was asked to sit in a “high power” or “low power” pose for two minutes
Finally, another sample of saliva was taken from each student and their testosterone and cortisol levels were measured again

When the team studied the results, they were amazed at the impact that body language had on hormone levels. The students who sat in a “high power” pose experienced a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol.

Below is a graph with the results outlined…

So now that we know about this amazing confidence hack, how do we use it?

IT’S SIMPLE. JUST STAND LIKE THIS FOR 2 MINUTES.

The easiest to use high power pose is not-surprisingly nicknamed “The Wonder Woman” pose. All you have to do is stand up tall with your chest out and your hands on your hips. Regardless of the nickname, this pose is equally as useful for men as it is for women.

USING THIS IN REAL LIFE

Once you know this hack, body language is easy to implement daily.

But if you’re a bit like me, you’ll get busy with day to day tasks and completely forget to check your body language. The easiest way I have found to implement this is to add a high power pose to my early morning routine for 2 short minutes.

Here’s something I’ve been experimenting with recently…

Every morning, I’ll wake up and stand in a high power pose for a few minutes. While in the pose, I’ll close my eyes, breath in deeply for a count of 3, hold for 1, and then breath out fully for a count of 5. In this way, I combine breathing exercises, meditation and power poses for a relaxing and confidence – boosting start to the day.

Plus, it only takes 2 minutes. You can’t exactly say you haven’t got time for that.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW

“Successful people are simply those with successful habits”

– Brian Tracy

Of course, body language is not the end-all, be-all of become more confident.

That said, it is definitely clear that confidence is a two-way street that involves both your mind and body. Just like an anxious mind influences your body language, your body language influences your mind. Of course, your personality and emotional state will impact your confidence levels, but it’s obvious that changing your body language, opening up and taking advantage of a power pose will play an important role too.

The main thing? You now have another asset in your toolbox for when you need that burst of self-confidence.

If you’re feeling stressed a few minutes before your next big meeting, interview or presentation – take a few minutes to realign your posture and adopt a powerful pose. Hands on your hips, chin up high and chest pushed out.

Do this, along with slow deep breaths for just two minutes to raise your testosterone levels and increase your self-confidence, decrease your cortisol and improve your ability to handle yourself under pressure.

Your mind and body are firmly connected so to reshape your mind, sometimes you have to change it with your body. The most successful leaders don’t just think a certain way, they behave a certain way. Now, so can you.