What is one thing that ALL successful people have in common?
Well, there's a lot of things actually, but today we'll talk about ONE of the things that standing desks help with:
CONFIDENCE!
Specifically, there are some proven ways you can improve your confidence.
1. THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS!
Looks like Happy Gilmore was on to something. When you want to be more confident, you should try to focus on happy, positive thoughts instead of negative ones. If you are having problems focusing on anything at all, you may want to start with 5-10 deep breaths and repeat some simple affirmations to yourself.
For example, "I CAN DO IT!". "I FEEL GREAT!". "I AM STRONG AND CONFIDENT!". It may sound a little woo-woo, but it has been proven to work.
2. PREPARE THYSELF!
You will be much more calm, relaxed, and confident if you prepare for something. Keep in mind that the act of preparation (and the effect that has on your mindset) is just as important (and possibly more) than the result of your preparation. The University of Toronto did a study with students proving this.
Two groups were interviewed before an exam, with the interviewers asking the students questions about how they prepared for the exam. The first group was given very positive feedback, letting them think their preparation was effective. The second group was given very negative feedback, letting them think their exam preparation was poorly planned and ineffective.
Guess which group did MUCH better on the exam? The positive feedback reinforced the positive preparation of the first group, and they did much better on the exam. One caveat, of course - those students who didn't prepare at all did equally poorly on the exam. So the lesson here: prepare, and believe in your preparation!
3. SAY NO!
Confident people say that little word that many of us hate to say. Even worse is trying to weasel by with something non-committal like "I'll see", "I'll think about it" or "I'm not certain". Confident people are committed to their responses. They are decisive and stand by their words.
Research conducted by the University Of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, showed that people who have difficulty saying "no" experience more stress, which is a confidence inhibitor. As Yoda says, "There is no try", "Do or do not". Make a decision and clearly, communicate it. Here's a trick to help you: if you feel pressured and don't have enough information to make a decision, try saying "If I have to make a decision now, the answer is 'no'".
Odds are you aren't saying 'no' to enough things anyways, and if you are at all hesitant there is likely a reason. Saying 'no' allows us to honor our existing commitments and successfully complete them. If you try to do everything, you will fail at everything. Successful people say 'no' with ease and with no guilt.
4. MIRROR MAGIC.
The image is everything, as they say, and this is true for our self-image also. Grooming and dressing yourself up, even when you're not going anywhere, can play a big part in building confidence.
A shower, shave, and nice clothes make you look good. Take a moment in front of the mirror and think about how great you look. Now go get 'em, tiger!
5. USE A STANDING DESK.
Like our standing desk, studies have proven that standing increases confidence. Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who wrote about this in her book, "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (& how to create confidence and influence out of thin air)".
Essentially, what happens is that when you stand tall at your standing desk, your body changes hormone production (it creates more testosterone and less cortisol) which affects you psychologically. You become more confident. This has been proven scientifically many times, by Amy and other scientists.
Using your sit-stand desk literally, puts you in a 'power pose' giving you much more confidence than you would have while sitting. Make sure you're standing at your desk the next time you need that extra boost of positivity and power!
