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JAYMIE HOOPER
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Loisel says to stick your shoulders back,
make eye contact and smile. “You’ll instantly
look and feel more confi dent, approachable
and attractive,” she explains. “Keep your
body language open by keeping your hands
in plain sight, scan the room and if someone
smiles at you, smile back.”THE SITCH:
PREPPING FOR A
JOB INTERVIEW
What can spike your cortisol levels more
than missing out on Ed Sheeran tix three
times in a row? Interviewing for your dream
gig. Allow your anxious feels to take over,
though, and you run the risk of appearing
withdrawn and restless (two qualities a
future employer won’t want to see). Shake
or cross your legs, lock your ankles or twist
your feet around your chair and you’ll look
tense instead of impressive.
THE POWER POSE: “Sit still and upright
with your shoulders back,” says Loisel.
Avoid fi dgeting (since nothing screams
nervous more than a tapping foot) and
keep your feet fi rmly planted on the ground.
“Keep your hands in plain sight and use
palm gestures to communicate, as this will
convey honesty and confi dence and help
build trust.” Eye contact is important here,
too, and remember to breathe – it’ll help
you appear calm and in control.THE SITCH:
MINGLING
AT A WORK
CONFERENCE
If chatting to strangers doesn’t come
naturally to you, spending an entire day
doing just that can send your anxiety into
overdrive. And while you might think it’s
a good idea to fi dget with your smartphone
in an e ort to hide how nervous you are,
Loisel disagrees. “The signals you send
out when you’re feeling anxious are very
similar to those you send out when you’re
disinterested,” she says, so although you
might be totally star-struck while listening
to your career idol speak, you might come
across as bored if there’s a phone in your
hand or you’re constantly looking away.
THE POWER POSE: Instead of staying
on the sidelines, take up a prominent
position, smile and make eye contact.
“This makes your presence felt and signals
confi dence and a willingness to engage,”
says Loisel. To perfect your pose and feelempowered, stand tall, pull your shoulders
back, hold your chin up high and lean in
slightly when you chat. “Make eye contact
with people and show interest as they
speak,” adds Loisel, and remember –
keep your phone out of sight!THE SITCH:
GOING ON A
FIRST DATE
First dates are hella nerve-racking, but it’s
important not to let your jitters give o the
wrong message. If you avoid eye contact or
start to lean away because you’re nervous,
your date might think you’re not interested.
Likewise, the more you second-guess how
you look or act, the more uneasy you’ll
become and the harder it will be to form
a lasting connection.
THE POWER POSE: According to
Loisel, we like people who like us, so the
next time you’re catching dinner with
a hottie, ensure your arms are uncrossed
and lean in when they talk to show you’re
interested and comfortable. Slow your
breath to regain control, hold their eye
contact and smile to appear (and feel)
cool, calm and confi dent.INSTANT
FIX
Need confi dence in a
fl ash? Try Loisel’s go-to
power stance“Keep your feet planted
wide and hold your chin up.”
“Place your hands on your
hips to pull your shoulders
back and give yourself
an extra lift.”
“Breathe deeply
to stimulate the
parasympathetic nervous
system and calm your nerves.
This will make you feel, look
and sound more confi dent.”“Hold for two minutes,
and you’re done!”IMAGINE THIS: YOU MEET
SOMEONE, they say hello and you say
hello back. You only exchanged two words,
right? Sure – but you also gave o more
than 10,000 clues about what you were
feeling. According to body language
expert Katia Loisel (thelovedestination
.com), this phenomenon is called non-
verbal leakage, and it happens whether
you want it to or not. Basically, if you feel
nervous, you’ll look nervous, even if you
say you aren’t. What we think comes out
one way or another – but there is a way
to change how you feel.
“Our emotions and physiology are
directly linked,” explains Loisel, and
while emotional changes directly a ect
our breath, facial expressions and body
language, changes to our physiology (aka,
body language) also directly impact our
emotions and confi dence. To stop your
non-verbal cues from sabotaging your social
interactions, then, the fi rst step is to become
more aware of your body language. “This
will allow you to change how you respond
to situations and how others perceive you,”
says Loisel. Shift your body language to that
of someone with confi dence, and despite
the fact you’re shaking in your heels on the
way to your hot date, you’ll look like – and
believe that – you’re in control.
“Even seemingly small changes to your
body language or posture can signifi cantly
infl uence how you feel and how you’re
perceived,” says Loisel, and the best part is,
it can happen almost instantly. According
to research from Columbia and Harvard
universities, adopting a high-power
position for only one minute can lower
your stress levels and increase feelings of
confi dence, power and your willingness
to take risks. Keen to learn a pose or two?
Get empowered with our expert guide.THE SITCH:
FLYING SOLO
AT A PARTY
If you’re about to bypass the dance fl oor
and set up camp at the back of the room,
spoiler alert: that isn’t the right move. In
fact, burying your hands in your pockets
and trying to become one with the wallpaper
will only make you feel more out of place.
According to Loisel, the biggest mistake
you can make at a party is to blend in
with the crowd, avoid eye contact and
cross your arms as you’ll come across as
uncomfortable, insecure or disinterested.
THE POWER POSE: To appear more
friendly and confi dent at a social bash,