How you carry yourself forms a first and lasting impression so here are a few ways you can project an elegant and confident image.
Posture Perfect
Posture is the framework of deportment and it affects how we walk, sit, and move. Your posture is a statement of how you want to convey yourself and if you want to send signals of confidence then you have to master it.
Poor posture can make you appear sloppy, lacking in confidence or uninterested, which you clearly don’t want to happen on a date. Take time to become aware of your posture and think about how other people see you. There are also health benefits to having good posture #bonus!!
Tips for good posture –
- Keep your chin parallel to the floor
- Push shoulders back and down
- Straighten your spine
- Brace your core muscles
- Distribute your body weight evenly down through hips and knees to both feet
Walk the Walk
A graceful walk is good posture in motion. Try to minimize the space between your legs as you take each step. What style do you want to emulate? A cowboy walk, a duck waddle or a “cat walk”?
Try to practice your walk by placing something on your head and keeping your chin parallel to the floor. It’s fun and trust me you’ll be gracefully gliding to meet your next date. Good posture and minimizing the space between your legs is just as important when seated, keep knees and ankles together for a graceful look.
Your Face Says It All
Your use of eye contact and your smile are a big part of your non-verbal communication. This is something you don’t want to get wrong on a date. It’s always important to make eye contact when you’re speaking with someone as it shows you are interested however the way you look at someone can also communicate many other things such as hostility or attraction.
If you hold eye contact for longer than a few seconds the signal you’re sending can be perceived as one of attraction. So be careful! Hold the gaze for longer than necessary only if you mean it. Smiling and laughter light up the face and are both signs of happiness and being comfortable with someone. Nodding and smiling lets the other person know that you’re interested in what they’re saying.
Fidget Not
Gestures are used to reinforce what you are saying and take many forms. You naturally express yourself through gestures and some people are more animated than others. However, if you fidget with your hands you may be perceived as being unable to relax or nervous. Touching your hair and face can of course be signs of flirting but checking your nails and playing with your jewelry can be seen as signs of boredom. So be careful. Don’t forget to control the urge to look at your phone every 5 minutes. It’s so tempting but so rude. You. Are. On. A. Date!!
Mirror Mirror
Mirroring someone’s body language is often an unconscious reaction when enjoying the company of others. This is a technique that can be learned and used by anyone. Salespersons and business professionals use it all the time. It helps build rapport, so by mimicking some of the positive body language you see, you can send an unwritten message that you are interested and enjoying the conversation!
For example, if your date leans forward while talking to you this is usually a sign of personal interest or attraction, so if you mimic and also lean in then you are indicating that you feel the same way.
Perfectly Poised
All nonverbal communication sends strong messages. Your posture, body language, gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, smile can put people at ease, and draw them towards you. However, a woman entering a room wearing jeans and a t-shirt can have more poise than a woman wearing an elegant cocktail dress. So what is poise? Poise is one’s overall composure, it includes everything from your posture, image, body language to your movements. It’s about being confident and comfortable in your own skin.
That’s the image you want to project when you date someone, perfectly poised.
