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Entity teaches you how to fake it until you make it.

Do you feel the need to excel right away when taking on a new challenge? Most people do. We want to appear poised and capable now – even if we may not have the experience to back it up. This is why people tend to fake it until they make it. Use these five strategies to boost your confidence and convince everyone – including yourself – that you’ve got things under control.

1 Strike a power pose.

In her 2012 viral TED Talk, Harvard psychologist, Amy Cuddy, explains how body position affects both your confidence and stress level. Humans and other animals naturally assume hunched or closed off positions when they feel uncomfortable. Conversely, they sprawl out to take up more space when confident. Hence,  by mimicking a confident position, you can actually trick your mind into thinking a certain way.

When you adopt a high power pose for two minutes, such as a standing with your hands on your hips and legs spread, research shows that your testosterone will increase while cortisol, a stress hormone, decreases. As a result, you will feel calmer and more in control.

2 Pause and process.

When we’re in a situation that makes us nervous, we may feel pressure to respond right away and prove we have the correct answer (even if we don’t). Rarely will you encounter a situation, however, where it’s inappropriate to take a moment to pause and collect your thoughts.

Even in an interview, a brief pause is often interpreted as a sign of thoughtfulness and shows that you are fully engaged with the question. If you need more than a few seconds to gather your thoughts, it’s acceptable to say, “What an interesting question. I haven’t considered that before. I’d like to take a moment to think.”

In negotiations, silence can also work in your favor. It conveys power and prompts the other person to provide more information. This tactic also prevents you from saying something out of haste that you might regret later.

3 Dress the part.

Cher Horowitz in “Clueless” had the right idea when she searched for her “most capable outfit” before taking her driving test. Just as your body can trick your mind into feeling more confident, the right outfit can help you feel more at ease.

Scientists have documented how clothes impact the wearer’s performance. In one experiment, the participants who were given lab coats performed better on a test than participants who were given the same coats, but were told they were painter’s smocks. Put on the clothes that make you feel ready for the job at hand. It just might positively impact your performance.

4 Follow the leader.

Identify someone whose work inspires you or who possesses a skill set you wish to attain. Take your cues from their actions. For example, if you’re not sure how to format a report for your boss, ask a veteran in your department for a few pointers. If you notice that your manager always arrives a few minutes early to meetings with pen and paper in hand, try doing the same. Mimicking the behavior of leaders you admire can make you feel more comfortable and ensure you meet expectations.

5 Adopt a growth mindset.

In Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” she identifies two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. People who have fixed mindsets tend to internalize failure and accept the current limitations on their abilities. People with a growth mindset, however, believe they can improve with study, practice or experience.

Research shows that people with growth mindsets tend to reach much higher levels of achievement than their fixed mindset peers. What’s more, you can switch your mindset at any time by consciously interpreting how you respond to challenges and setbacks. By simply believing that you can work through your insecurities or inexperience, you place yourself on the trajectory to overcome them.

Edited by Ellena Kilgallon
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