6 POWER POSES TO BOOST CONFIDENCE

Top experts share how your body language can help you foster connections, lift your spirits, pinpoint deception-and much more!

- KRISTINA MASTROCOLA

YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT

when she encouraged you to stand up straight and put your shoulders back: Research shows not only do such subtle shifts in our posture help us feel more energized, they also boost our confidence.

In fact, one study in the European Journal of Social Psychology showed that when people jotted down positive thoughts about themselves, they were much more likely to believe them if they were sitting upright than if they were slumped over. That’s largely because more than half of communication is nonverbal—and that holds true whether we’re communicating with others or engaging in self-talk, notes body-language expert Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma.

One of the easiest ways to tap your “silent superpower”? “Open the ‘windows’ of your body by making direct eye contact and uncross your arms when you face the other person,” says Wood. “Modeling this friendly body language calms your nervous system and signals to others to reciprocate and let down their guard.” Keep reading for more simple strategies that’ll help you spark joy, radiate charisma and boost your can-do.

1 INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM WITH A ‘POWER STEEPLE’

“We lose confidence quickly when one side of our brain is on overload,” says Traci Brown, author of