The Confidence Mindset - How To Be More Confident | Approach 2

Another way we can have more confidence is to understand and practise the link between physiology, and our states of being (roughly equates to our feelings or mood). 
 
Our physiology is the way we breathe, our posture, how we move, and how we speak. Changing these variables is helpful as an approach to begin to become more confident. This is especially useful as an approach, because whilst it can seem that our feelings are not within our influence, we can directly change our physiology; in doing so we change our feelings (our state of mind-body).  
 
The reality is that our states of mind are influenced and determined by our posture - by our deep patterns of physiology. So once we know this, we can begin to choose and create feelings of confidence (or any states we want), by changing our physiology.
 
If you've ever heard the advice "stand up straight with your shoulders back" (Rule 1 from 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson), this is recognising a link between our physiology and our performance, feelings and experience.
 
The intention here is useful, though its worth developing a more nuanced understanding of our physiology and our emotional states than, "stand up straight with your shoulders back". How specifically can we change our physiology to change our feelings? 
 
This is where we can begin to experiment, a little like a actor. What happens if we walk at different paces? What happens if we subtly change our facial expressions? If our facial muscles have become slack, what happens if we lift them, ever so slightly into a smile? How about if we do practise standing up straighter over time? How does this affect our confidence? How does speaking louder, slower or more quickly change our state? How do our patterns of movement affect our moods or feelings? 
 
So we can begin to change our physiology and notice how it can help us change our levels of confidence. Interestingly, once we become skilled at this, we can begin to realise that all of our states have corresponding physiologies. We can also see this as we observe other people. Changing physiology is a direct route to being able to choose, and change our states of mind; this is one of the most important and powerful skills to learn in life. 
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