5 Daily Habits of Highly Confident People

For most of us, self-confidence isn’t just something that falls out of the sky.

And a lack of self-confidence can have a big impact on your happiness, relationships, and even your career.

Fortunately, by following specific habits and practicing certain beliefs, you can improve your self-esteem and go through life with higher self-confidence.

Confident People Don’t Need To Be Right Every Time

The most confident people understand they don’t have to pretend they’re the smartest in the room. Rather than trying to impress others with their knowledge, they’re curious, ask questions, and seek to learn.

Not only does this make them a lot more likable, but they actually develop into wiser individuals as well.

If you feel like you have to be right all the time, you’re going to have a hard time. Your need to look smart will eat you up from the inside. It will chip away at your self-confidence because you simply can’t be right every time. You won’t be right every time.

Besides, people quickly realize when you try to impress them with your knowledge. They can feel it in your energy. Paradoxically, by trying to impress others, your lack of self-confidence becomes obvious.

Rather than trying to impress others, just be calm and present with them. Ask questions. Listen. Be curious. Radiate positive energy. Not only will you feel more confident, but other people will have more fun being around you as well.

Confident People Make More Eye Contact

One study found that there is an association between self-confidence and the ability to hold eye contact. The study showed that people with low self-esteem tend to break eye contact frequently, whereas highly confident people tend to look you in the eye more often when they communicate.

When someone makes enough eye contact, it not only radiates self-confidence, but it also feels like this person is truly listening. They come across as a more grounded, present person, which builds an emotional connection and increases trust.

Studies have shown that, on average, adults make eye contact 30–50% of the time when speaking to individuals. However, to create an emotional connection and evoke positive feelings of trust, they should make eye contact 60-70% of the time when communicating (but don’t overdo it, or you might come across as a creepy psychopath).

Although lack of eye contact is a result of low self-esteem, it’s a two-way street. In other words, if you have low self-esteem, purposefully holding more eye contact will actually improve your self-confidence.

Therefore, if self-confidence is lacking, actively practice holding more eye contact with the people around you. Not only will it make you feel more confident, but it will also improve your social skills and build more trust and connection with others.

Confident People Practice Open Body Language

Next to eye contact, the easiest way to spot a person’s degree of self-confidence is by looking at their body language.

Highly confident people tend to have much more open body language, whereas people with low self-esteem tend to make themselves small and closed off.

Here are a few tips to practice open, confident body language:

Stand with your shoulders backward (instead of slumped forward) and put your chest a bit forward

Keep your head straight or upward (instead of always looking at the ground)

Stand with your legs steady on the ground (instead of close to each other)

Express yourself with your hands when talking (instead of looking like a robot)

Turn your body and feet towards others when talking to them

Don’t cross your arms all the time

Practicing open body language is important. First of all, you’re perceived as more approachable, relaxed, and confident. Second of all, your body language directly impacts how confident you feel.

“Powerful body language and behavior don’t just sway those around you; they can actually change the way you feel about yourself,” says Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at the Harvard Business School.

Closed body language is a sign of low self-esteem, and open body language is a sign of self-confidence. However, just like making eye contact, it’s a two-way street. Even if you’re not feeling confident, the mere act of practicing open body language will make you feel more confident, as studies have shown.

Confident People Don’t Care (Much) About Other People’s Opinions

Funnily enough, lack of self-confidence usually doesn’t come from believing that we’re not good enough, it comes from being afraid other people think we’re not good enough.

We care too much about other people’s opinions — what they think of us, how they’ll speak about us, how we’re being perceived — and that chips away at our self-confidence.

Highly confident people, on the other hand, don’t care much about the opinions of others. They aren’t bothered with trying to impress others. They don’t care much if someone thinks what they wear, say, or do is stupid.

They’re busy being themselves. They’re unfuckwithable.

Honestly, most people are way too occupied with what other people think. They waste so much time, effort, and mental peace trying to impress people who aren’t even worth impressing. Don’t live your life based on other people’s opinions. Stay true to yourself. Become unfuckwithable.

Confident People Do Epic Stuff & Experience Life

A lack of self-confidence usually comes from a lack of action. It comes from staying in your protected shell too much. If you live too much of a comfortable life, you won’t grow, get to know yourself, or gain life experience.

When you start doing epic stuff — mountain biking, starting a business, traveling, joining a martial arts gym, or anything else outside of your comfort zone — you’ll develop higher self-confidence.

By leaving the comfort of your couch, you get to know yourself better, gain valuable life experience, and develop trust in yourself.

Truth is, you can’t think your way to self-confidence. You won’t develop any self-confidence by sitting on your couch watching Netflix. Instead, it comes as a natural byproduct of doing epic stuff, moving forward, and gaining life experience.

So, leave your comfortable, protected bubble every now and then and get active. Experience life. Meet new people. Develop new skills. Discover who you truly are.