Tag: confidence

Clothing you wear and its affect on your self-perception and performance

Did you know that not only the way you think about yourself but also your performance in your studies, work etc. somehow depends on the clothing you wear? Yes, this might seem a little vague and you might say that the interdependence is very trivial.

But, research shows that the clothes you wear can actually change the way you perform.

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This can be elucidated by the example of a play. The stage actors of the play rehearse on random clothes that they are comfortable wearing. But, when they rehearse with their costumes on, you get to see a stark difference in their performance. In comparison to all their previous rehearsals, this time you will see a slight confidence boost throughout the duration of their performance. This is because they experience the character or better yet they get into character more deeper than ever before for the role.

Apparel and presentation communicates volumes about you as a person. The question is not whether you care about fashion, it’s more about what you’re communicating intentionally or unconsciously through your fashion choices. You should be conscious about what you wear and don’t just like you are conscious about what you eat and what you don’t. This includes ignoring the fashion trends that do not fit you or does not make you comfortable just like the way you say no to the food that you are allergic or just intolerant to.

When you’re dressing or grooming, consider what it says about you and whether it’s in line with the message you want to communicate. There’s no right or wrong. It’s all about context. A tie can make you look reliable and rooted in tradition. This might be important at an investment firm, where clients want to know that you’re serious about stewarding their capital. But it can also come off as stuffy and resistant to change, which may be inappropriate for a tech startup.

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Of course, dressing smart is also important for your confidence and sense of self-empowerment. But your style does more than just send messages, to your mind or to others. New research study shows it actually impacts how you think.

“The formality of clothing might not only influence the way others perceive a person, and how people perceive themselves, but could influence decision making in important ways through its influence on processing style” the study says.

The psychology behind is totally subconscious. A gut feeling, commonly called intuition or a first impression, is really part of the very fast-paced mental process of thin-slicing, which is when our brain process visual details instantaneously.

It’s how we continually judge books by their covers, all day, every day.

So choose your personal presentation with care. Presentation includes not only your clothes, but your accessories, hairstyle, fragrance, posture, body language, tone of voice, and the level of energy with which you move and speak. Think of the person that you need to be in any particular situation. Then dress, groom, and accessorize in a way that helps you mentally step into that personality.

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Interpersonal Skills-A Way to Success

“To open the doors of success,

Get out of the pleasing fake bubble,

And meet the harsh real world.“

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There are 3 basic questions that arise in the minds of each individual when thinking about their interpersonal skills:

  • What are interpersonal skills?
  • Why is there a need to absorb these skills?
  • How to identify and improve them?

MEANING

Interpersonal skills are the skills that a person uses to interact with others. They are also referred as social skills, which helps you to interact , communicate & collaborate with others effectively. Some examples of such skills are:

  • Self confidence
  • Positive attitude
  • Empathy
  • Listening skills
  • Controlling your emotions
  • Communication skills

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

In today’s world the most important interpersonal skill is the communication skill. For an effective interaction and good relations, we need to posess and polish our communication skills. It is divided into 3 divisions:

  1. Verbal communication– To convey our thoughts and ideas to the other person, it is very important to express them clearly and precisely, either verbally or through written mediums(letters, reports, etc.)
  2. Non-Verbal communication– Not all conversations are verbal, some are also carried by non-verbal components like when we express our opinion by our gestures or body language.
  3. Effective listening– Yes, listening is also a part of communication. Only a good listener can be a good speaker, as to make others understand your viewpoint, you need to first listen theirs.

WHY TO ABSORB THEM?

We often come across various people for different purposes but our relation with them depends on our ability to handle them. The key role, here, is played by our interpersonal skills. As we grow, we possess some of these skills unconsciously while some of these has to be assimilated.

For a successful career we need to have good relations with others. A student having good social skills has many opportunity doors opened and can explore different areas. A person seeking job needs to first pass the interview round(in almost every paid job)where his interpersonal skills are tested. Even in a business, good social relations increases the chances of a longer and successful business.

Not only for our career but social skills are also important for a good personal life. Whether it is our friends, family, relatives or partners, each of them is to be handled with care by using your skills. These skills also enhances your overall personality, boosts your confidence and makes you a better person. Also some people may wonder that such skills are present in every human being by birth but that’s not true, each individual is different and such skills comes with experience. As we grow, we tend to develop them, but to make them useful you need to polish them as well.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND IMPROVE?

By now, you may have identified some of the social skills you have. To identify these skills, the most effective way is to interact with more &more people(known and unknown)as this will help you spot your strengths and weaknesses. After doing so just pick out your strengths and practice them daily and use them to overpower you weakness. In due course of time you will see that your polished strengths have reduced and ultimately removed your weaknesses.

So just focus on your skills, improve them and conquer your dreams….

THE ART OF LOVING THYSELF .

In this fast pacing world with ever increasing competition , the struggle to be at the top , and everybody’s desire to become ‘successful’ , we are slowly becoming so very self critical and judgemental towards ourselves . We are so desperate to be the very best that we are blindly running in this rat race and not realising that we all have our own paths that we need to follow . We are slowing loathing ourselves for everything that we are not , instead of loving ourselves for all that we are . This constant comparison that we do with others is just not the healthy way of becoming a better version of ourselves . Here are a few points to remember before you start comparing and critiquing yourself:-

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EACH ONE OF US IS UNIQUE- We all have different sets of talents and things that we are good at , be it dancing , singing , writing , photography , or being academically gifted. We just need to find out what we are good at and what we like instead of comparing ourselves . You might have the qualities of becoming a great teacher and you might be unaware of it , or have an inclination towards cars or computers . Your likes and dislikes makes you more unique and more YOU , so embrace it and find your uniqueness. This will help you find your own path in life and automatically halt the comparisons .

DIVINE TIMING – We often want instant results and are impatient . Seeing our friends getting their dream jobs or succeeding makes us feel bad about ourself because we seem to be exactly where we were, despite the hardwork and dedication . This can be frustrating , but you will succeed when its your time to.This statement seems pretty phoney, but its not ,there is room for everyone to succeed , we just need. to be patient and continue to persevere. Our time will come .

WE ALL ARE ON DIFFERENT BOATS- Its true , we are all on different boats , with different sets of obstacles and challenges , so its not practical to compare each other . Every human is dealing with problems that differ from ours. We must understand this and realise that just like there is no comparing between the sun and moon , we humans can’t be compared either.

ITS IMPORTANT TO FAIL SOMETIMES – After failing a test or a job interview we tend to feel a deep sense of disappointment and tend to levitate towards self doubt and fall in the labyrinth of comparing ourselves . But it’s imperative to know that its okay to fail sometimes and its actually good . Failure is a good teacher and helps us understand the areas we need to work on . So next time you fail at something , try to learn from it instead of hating yourself.

HOW TO ACE YOUR INTERVIEW

Those who have given an interview in the past know how difficult it can be sometimes to ace an interview. Not everyone is born with confidence to impress someone with the first sentence they say. Some people like myself need a little help, research and motivation to prepare for the big moment. 

I will be sharing some of the tips that I came across on the internet, below. They might prove beneficial to you as well to pass your interview with flying colours. 

  1. Basic Research:

The first step is to run in-depth research about the organisation/ company you are applying to. You should be well aware of their background, values and culture. You should also know the latest news about the company. Checking the company’s social media accounts can also give you a lot of information. The interviewer might ask you questions like “when was the company formed?” or “how many divisions does the company have?”. You should be prepared with the answers to such questions. It will reflect your seriousness for the job.

  1. Review the job description:

Read the job description again and see if you are fit for the job or not. See if your experience, skills and accomplishments are enough for the job. You can also look into the hiring process of the company and prepare accordingly. Also, look into your qualifications and goals. You can tell the interviewer how your goals align with the company’s goals. 

  1. Practice answering questions:

Some of the questions are asked in almost all the interviews. Like “tell us about yourself” is the most common question. You should be well prepared for such questions. Don’t memorize the answers but do make bullet points. It will help you remember answers better and make it look natural. Your main focus should be on the company, the position, qualifications and goals. Stand in front of the mirror and practice these questions until your nervousness goes away.

  1. Crisp dressing: 

Believe it or not but dressing up nice gives you a different kind of confidence. You should always wear something formal or something that’s not inappropriate. It makes a good first impression on the interviewer as you walk in. Also, make sure your footwear is neat and clean. The best pick for an interview is usually pants and a formal shirt or a business suit. 

  1. Prepare questions to ask:

The best way to show your interest in the job is to ask the interviewer a few questions here and there. You can also reevaluate if the company’s goals, working environment and company culture are right for you. Prepare some questions that dig deeper into the company. This will show that you have done your homework.

  1. Keep the CV and other documents organised:

Keep your documents ready beforehand. This will not create chaos on the day of the interview. Also, keeping these things ready will reduce your burden a little and make you less nervous. A well-organised file speaks a lot about your work ethics to your interviewer. 

  1. Pay attention to your soft skills:

Your posture, handshake and attentiveness say a lot about your personality. Do not get aggressive during the interview and keep your volume low. Fiddling with your pen, tie or file can show the lack of confidence. Walk with confidence and try not to fiddle. Lastly, maintain eye-contact and a smile. It reflects a positive nature. 

Keeping in mind these few tips can make a huge difference during your interview. In the end, all that actually matters is your confidence.