When you move confidently and carry your body confidently, you not only feel more confident but others assume that you are. You may be surprised to learn that only 7% of the information you transmit to others is in the language you use. The remainder comes from: 38% How you speak – quality of voice, accent, voice projection, emphasis, expression, pace, volume, pitch etc. 55% Body language – posture, position, eye contact, facial expression, head and body movements, gestures, touch etc. Whereas people often try to disguise their true feelings in their utterances, they communicate them freely through their non-verbals.
When your body language tells a different story from your spoken words, guess which is believed? The answer is, your body language. It imparts eight times as much information. Pay more attention to how you use your body. Poor movement and posture restricts breathing, tightens the muscles and brings about skeletal disorders.One of the best ways of improving your posture is to practise the Alexander Technique, a wonderful method for detecting and releasing muscular tension. It involves moving with the back straight, gaze gently fixed straight ahead, shoulders back but relaxed, ears, shoulders, hips and ankles in line.
This has the effect of lengthening and widening the spine giving the lungs a chance to work better. This is the epitome of a confident posture. Moreover, regular practitioners also find themselves mentally calmer and more confident than before. “No one has ever seen a cock crow with its head down. Alonzo Newton Benn”
A Feat Of Confidence?
Many years ago I was a trainee executive with a large company. As part of my induction I was sent on a presentation skills course. After three days of intensive coaching we all had to make a ten minute presentation, which was to be videotaped, to instructors and colleagues on a subject of our choice.
Well aware of the impression that a wavering voice and incongruent body language made, I practised a clear, steady tone, confident expression and smooth, flowing hand movements in front of a mirror. When the moment arrived, although feeling far from relaxed, I was sure I would
look and
sound confident. And so it seemed initially. When the video was played back, my face and upper body looked completely relaxed.
However, the camera operator had noticed something of which I was entirely unaware. He panned in on my feet. Unbeknown to me, but perfectly obvious to everyone else in the room, they were tapping away uncontrollably, with a vigour which would have made Fred Astaire proud!
The moral? If you are not fully confident, no matter how hard you try to disguise it your non-verbals will give you away one way or another.