InnerSelf.com

The human body is the best picture of the human soul.
                             — Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher

Both your brain and your body work in harmony together to help you operate at your peak if you know how to use them. Almost as instantly as the mind thinks something, there is an observable response in the physical body.

Let’s do an experiment together. I want you to try an exercise for a moment. Slump your shoulders down. Now, hang your head down and add a frown on your face. Question: How do you feel?

Depressed? Insecure? Down on yourself? Bad? Sad?

Easy Ways to Develop Confidence

One of the easiest ways to develop confidence that attracts success is to change your physical posture. Let’s try another quick exercise. Hold your head up straight and look forward. Stop looking at the ground because it causes your whole body to slump over. Pull your shoulders back and stick out your chest. Add a nice smile on your face. Question: How do you feel now?

Happy? Confident? Proud? Important? Secure? Good? Like a champion?

Here is a powerful thing to understand about yourself. If you did the exercise, you were able to change how you felt and instantly increase your energy levels without changing the way you think or by stimulating yourself with outside sources like antidepressants, coffee, cigarettes, or drugs. You simply changed your physiology, and your emotions and feelings in­stantly changed.

Seven Ways To Improve Your Physiology

1. Put on your million-dollar smile.

This is the quickest way to change the way you feel. It is almost impossible to smile on the outside and feel crummy on the in­side.

2. Sit up straight while sitting in a chair.

What is your psychology like when you watch TV? Kicked back. Relaxed. This usually means slouching in a chair. You may be doing it right now as you read this book . . . sit up in your chair right now! How do you feel?

The simple act of sitting up in your seat causes your mind to be more alert and you are positioned to receive.

3. Give hugs.

Psychologist Virginia Satir has said that we need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs a day for maintenance, and twelve hugs a day for growth. Just think, by simply giving someone a hug you can make someone instantly feel better. By the way, hugs have been proven to improve your immune system.

4. Walk faster.

Psychologists link a poor posture and slow, sluggish walking to a negative attitude toward oneself. People who know who they are and where they are going have “pep” in their step. They naturally walk faster. Pick up your pace, and you will feel a “pickup” in your confidence.

5. Watch your body weight.

Don’t go on a fad diet! As a matter of fact, don’t go on a diet at all. Incorporate eating healthy as a lifestyle. Keep track of your calorie intake. Reduce the fatty foods in your diet, especially in your meat and dairy consumption. And stop eating refined sugar!

6. Exercise your way to peak performance.

Physical fitness has a huge effect on self-confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less ener­getic. By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive.

7. Drink More Water: Water = Energy.

Do you ever get really tired about three o’clock in the after­noon? I used to. One day somebody told me to slam down an eight-ounce glass of water when I was feeling tired and my energy levels would increase. So the next day, sure enough, around 3:00 p.m. I started feel­ing tired so I drank a glass of water and went back to work. The next thing I knew, I was still working at 9:00 p.m. Wow! I was sold on the idea that water equals energy. I realized I had been living in a dehydrated state.

If you suffer from inadequate hydration, you may feel tired, hungry, bloated, and sluggish. Every function, every organ, every cell in your body needs water to survive. Three out of four people today live in a dehydrated state. If 85 percent of our brains and muscles con­tains water, how can we possibly be performing at our best if we are dehydrated? But if you give your cells the fuel of water, they will respond by allowing your body to perform even better.

This article was excerpted with permission from the book:

The Confidence Solution: Reinvent Yourself, Explode Your Business, Skyrocket Your Income
by Keith Johnson.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA). ©2011. www.us.PenguinGroup.com.

Click here for more info or to order this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Dr. Keith Johnson known as America's #1 Confidence Coach, has spent the past fifteen years successfully training more than 120,000 leaders how to maximize their leadership potential and effectiveness. One of the premier speakers on the subjects of leadership and confidence building, he has spoken worldwide including in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Africa, India, Spain, and throughout the United States. Dr. Keith is the founder and CEO of Confidence International, and speaks at many organizations, entrepreneur groups, churches, and events each year. Visit his website at http://keithjohnson.tv/

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