{"id":36328,"date":"2015-10-23T22:14:17","date_gmt":"2015-10-24T06:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=36328"},"modified":"2015-10-27T11:25:03","modified_gmt":"2015-10-27T19:25:03","slug":"7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Are you ever held back by a lack of confidence? Does this prevent you from achieving your goals and\u00a0becoming ultimately\u00a0successful?<\/p>\n

I’ve collected the findings from recent\u00a0psychology studies and distilled them into these 7 “bio hacks” you can use to build enormous confidence.<\/p>\n

1. Be compassionate…to yourself<\/h2>\n

Psychology researchers\u00a0found that<\/a>\u00a0treating yourself with compassion during a low point in your confidence (after making a mistake) is the most helpful way to motivate yourself.<\/p>\n

This strategy was found to be superior to\u00a0positive affirmations and recalling pleasant memories.<\/p>\n

Be kind and sympathetic to yourself. Avoid harsh self-criticism\u00a0and instead think about how things will improve from here.<\/p>\n

By showing yourself compassion, you will more objectively identify your weaknesses, have motivation to move forward, avoid repeating the mistake in the future, and spend more time improving yourself.<\/p>\n

2. Change your posture<\/h2>\n

Do you slouch? Then sit up straight!<\/p>\n

Do you fold your arms? Then open\u00a0them up!<\/p>\n

It’s true that your posture\u00a0and body language show others visually how confident you are.\u00a0But more surprising is the fact that open body language helps you believe<\/em> you are more confident.<\/p>\n

This study<\/a> showed how when you have a more confident posture while performing an activity,\u00a0you actually feel<\/em> more confident.<\/p>\n

In her\u00a0TED talk<\/a>, Amy Cuddy explains\u00a0that if you hold a confident body posture for two minutes, you literally change your hormone levels to become\u00a0more comfortable and confident. As she puts it:<\/p>\n

“It seems that our nonverbals do govern how we think and feel about ourselves, so it’s not just others, but it’s also ourselves…our bodies change our minds.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The next time you’re about to enter a high-anxiety situation (such as a job interview), try “power posing” for a few minutes to get those hormones cranked up and boost your confidence!<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Create a\u00a0ranked list of your values<\/h2>\n

Try\u00a0this 10-minute self-affirmation exercise:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Write down a list of 10 personal values that you aspire to.\u00a0Examples include\u00a0family, education, confidence, attractiveness, and health.<\/li>\n
  2. Re-order the list in order of importance.<\/li>\n
  3. Write 2-3\u00a0paragraphs on why<\/em> the top-ranked value is most important.<\/li>\n
  4. From these paragraphs, write down the\u00a0top two<\/em> specific reasons<\/em> the value is most important.<\/li>\n
  5. Now answer two questions: (1) To what extent does your top-ranked value influence your life <\/em>and (2)\u00a0To what extent is your top-ranked value part of your self-image?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    According to this study<\/a>, participants who performed this exercise felt more secure and confident for up to 2 months later. Try this quick exercise next time you’re feeling insecure. Keep the list with you for inspiration.<\/p>\n

    4. Invent\u00a0your superhero alter-ego<\/h2>\n

    Even the toughest\u00a0Mixed Martial Arts fighters face fear and need the occasional confidence-booster.\u00a0Sociologists\u00a0found that<\/a>\u00a0they\u00a0do this by creating a fantasy alter-ego.<\/p>\n

    One fighter explained how he visualizes and inhabits his virtual avatar:<\/p>\n

    “I pretty much think of it as a video game. He has a little energy bar and a stamina bar above his head and every time I hit him that bar goes down. I try to think about the fact that every second that I don’t hit him that energy bar may be going back up. I think of myself the same way, except I pretend that my energy bar never goes down. It’s just like I am in invincible mode.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Try imagining your superhero alter-ego before you “go out on stage.” What’s your super power? Are you Unstoppable Confidence Man?\u00a0Are you a Tony Stark + Richard Branson super-hybrid?\u00a0Get creative!<\/p>\n

    5. Deceive yourself into self-belief<\/h2>\n

    Although you always want to be genuine and true to yourself, a recent study<\/a> shows that deceiving yourself into believing you’re confident will make others believe you’re confident. And apparently self-deception is a natural evolutionary trait.<\/p>\n

    The researchers\u00a0focused on overconfident people who are overrated by others, but\u00a0underconfident people can use this as well to tip the scales back.<\/p>\n

    If you lack confidence, why not use this principle to\u00a0restore your confidence? This is the classic “fake it till you make it approach,” but it works really well when you’re feeling low.<\/p>\n

    To develop self-belief, try practicing in a fun, low-pressure, and supportive environment where you receive positive feedback.<\/p>\n

    Here are two solid ways to do this that worked for me:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Join Toastmasters<\/li>\n
    2. Take an improv class<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      6. Sweat for 10 minutes every day<\/h2>\n

      Ever since I started working out regularly (CrossFit twice a week, sprinting once a week, lots of walking\/hiking), I’ve had much more confidence.<\/p>\n

      There’s science behind this, but you don’t need studies to tell you that exercising has benefits. It gives you energy, floods your body with feel-good endorphins, and improves your self-image.<\/p>\n

      Successful billionaire Richard Branson says<\/a> working out is the single most powerful productivity and confidence hack he’s come across.<\/p>\n

      Try to sweat for 10 minutes every day. When I want a super-efficient workout, I run\u00a0Tabata sprints—you sprint all-out for 20 seconds, stop for 10 seconds, repeat. Do this for 10 minutes\u00a0 (that’s 20 quick sprints). It’s easy to do and provides all the benefits of a tough workout.<\/p>\n

      7. Keep your goals secret<\/h2>\n

      When you achieve your goals and realize success, you naturally build confidence. But it can seem like a struggle to meet your goals in the first place.<\/p>\n

      This study<\/a>\u00a0found\u00a0that people who revealed a goal to someone else actually\u00a0lost motivation\u00a0<\/em>to accomplish the goal.<\/p>\n

      It sounds counter-intuitive. You would expect that telling others would hold\u00a0you more accountable. But by sharing your goals, you prematurely feel that\u00a0you’ve already accomplished them.<\/p>\n

      Another reason to keep your goals secret is to avoid being discouraged by nay-sayers in your life, according to Dr. Robert Anthony:\u00a0“Many would-be achievers have lost out before they even got started by letting others…talk them out of what they really wanted to do.”<\/p>\n

      The lesson? Keep your goals secret<\/a> if you want to achieve them!<\/p>\n

      We can learn a lot from human behavior. Which of these “bio hacks” will you try? Reply below!<\/h2>\n

      If you liked this article, you might also like\u00a0howtoattainsuccess.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

      Philip Pape is an author, public speaker, and Success Coach who helps smart people become confident and self-disciplined at howtoattainsuccess.com<\/a>. He\u2019s here to help you transform your approach to life\u2014while making it all feel like it\u2019s who you were meant to be. Checkout his free giveaways here<\/a>. Follow Philip on Twitter @philip_pape<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Are you ever held back by a lack of confidence? Does this prevent you from achieving your goals and becoming ultimately successful? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":36404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[205,21,112,31],"tags":[233,4653,91,4631,66,4635,4652,4629,4640],"yoast_head":"\n7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-24T06:14:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-27T19:25:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin Falconer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"7 Surprising Brain Hacks That Bring Enormous Confidence\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/\",\"name\":\"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-10-24T06:14:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-10-27T19:25:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\"},\"description\":\"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\",\"name\":\"Erin Falconer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erin Falconer\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence","description":"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence","og_description":"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/","og_site_name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain","article_published_time":"2015-10-24T06:14:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-10-27T19:25:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary","twitter_creator":"@pickthebrain","twitter_site":"@pickthebrain","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Erin Falconer","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/","name":"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Brain-Confidence.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"caption":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks That Bring Enormous Confidence"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/","name":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2015-10-24T06:14:17+00:00","dateModified":"2015-10-27T19:25:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5"},"description":"Try these seven techniques from the field of psychology to build greater confidence.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-brain-hacks-build-enormous-confidence\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"7 Surprising Brain Hacks to Build Enormous Confidence"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5","name":"Erin Falconer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1173c63284b173ff225e5f87a1af5028?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Erin Falconer"},"url":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/author\/erin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36328"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}