1 Weird Tip to Raise Self Confidence

One of the weirdest things about human nature is that people will try to hide themselves by slumping over. There are some people who literally think that hunching over will somehow hide them. They often do this because of a variety of reasons including shame, guilt, feelings of unworthiness and so on and so on. The sad reality, however, is that by not standing tall this only serves to worsen their negative feelings, further hurt their self image, and erode their wilting self confidence that made them want to hide in the first place. If you try to blend in to a crowd because of poor feelings then it's time to switch things around if your goal is to become more self confident. Furthermore, raising self confidence is one of the major steps along the personal development journey.

"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are."     Malcolm S. Forbes

In a very interesting study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology scientists uncovered a link between peoples' height and their salary. Perhaps unsuprisingly, there was a clear suggestion that taller people, whether male or female, earned significantly more money over their lifetime than their shorter counterparts. The exact reason for these interesting findings are debatable. On the other hand, what is more certain is how we can use this information to tie it into something we probably intuitively know and feel.

What can I do to RAISE my self confidence?

The study looked at height and how that relates to self confidence, and thus how others look at you. However, it doesn't take a scientist to know that a tall person who slouches over is sending incredibly strong non-verbal signals that they may be depressed, apathetic, disinterested, or very unconfident. The take home message here? Invest in some high quality platform shoes... Wait no that's not it!

What we have seen here is that you can't change your height, but you can improve your confidence by standing tall. Standing tall means your spine is erect, your chin is up, and both your feet are planted on the floor. If you haven't done it in a while, you'll probably hear a lot of crackling as you straighten out that spine!

"Who has confidence in himself will gain the confidence of others."     Leib Lazarow

Instead of slouching over when you feel unworthy or your confidence is low, simply stand tall. It's a much more favorable thing to do although it may feel totally unnatural at first. But lets face the facts here: If you "shrink" by a few inches you're just as visible and people are still going to see you and know you're there. On the other hand, if you stand tall you will still be seen and you will feel better and more confident. Furthermore, other people get a more favorable impression because you simply look more confident.

Not only is standing tall very cost-effective (it's free if you weren't sure) but it's also instant. No chanting, praying, waiting, attracting, or dreaming required! So stand tall today. You might just like the higher perspective!

Additional Self Confidence Building Resources

If you're hungry for more tips to raise self confidence, a very thorough and helpful resource I personally use is from the Chicken Soup for the Soul co-author Jack Canfield called Maximum Confidence: Ten Secrets of Extreme Self-Esteem.

If you'd like to read the article referenced in this blog post, read "Standing tall pays off, study finds"

Still hungry to learn more about how to improve your self confidence and feel better about your own life? Then be sure to read a previous self improvement blog titled, 4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence.