10 powerful body language examples to look and be more confident

Confidence is the key to getting far in life.

Whether you’re in college or in a career, how you connect with others and how you value yourself matter —  a lot.

Think about it. You can be the most talented person in the world, but if you constantly show that you don’t believe in yourself, well, no one will believe in you either.

When you portray confidence to others, you come across as reliable, knowledgable, and generally as someone with a positive attitude.

But how exactly can you portray that confidence without sounding cocky or arrogant?

The short answer: following the right body language examples. 

What is body language?

Body language is what we’re saying to others without saying a word. How we move, stand, sit and smile — those are examples of this non-verbal, universal method of human communication

Why does it matter? Well, these little messages can tell or emphasise a story better than your words ever could.

Only 7% of communication is verbal, while 38% is attributed to tone of voice and 55% to body language.

The nuances that your body communicates can make or break any situation, such as looking for a job, trying to get a new client, vying for a promotion, and more. 

However due to the non-verbal nature of body language, it is subjective and sometimes can be hard to tell.

In fact, people frequently have misconceptions about body language. Do you?

Common misconceptions about body language

In the video above, former FBI agent body language expert Joe Navarro points out one of the most popular myths about body language is about arm crossing.

Many associate crossed arms with anxiousness, insecurity, fear or distress, and if you’re speaking to another person while doing so, it’s a way to block them out.

“The myth is that if you cross your arms, that’s a blocking behaviour,” he says. “That’s just nonsense. Crossing your arms in front of the person you’re talking to isn’t to block them out – it’s actually to self-soothe.”

Navarro calls it a self-hug instead. He says it’s common for people to do it more in public than in private, and that it’s a way to calm or comfort oneself when feeling uncomfortable. 

He also points out that the other common misconceptions about body language involve touching the nose, clearing the throat or covering the mouth.

Many seem to think these are indicators of lying or deception, but that’s not true.

“These behaviours are also self-soothers – they’re pacifying behaviours,” he says.

“People who prattle that and say ‘well, we can detect deception because another person touches their nose’ is just sheer nonsense.”

Whilst you’re free to cross your arms and touch your nose now, there are still established body language movements to avoid.

How to be more confident: Avoid these body language

Like it or not, these seeming superficialities can make or break your next big presentation or interview.

• Lips

We humans tend to compress our lips when something bothers us. If something really bothers us, we bite on our lips or suck them in. 

• Fingers

When something is troubling us, we play with our fingers. Most of the time, most humans tend to stiffen their fingers and interlace them, sometimes even moving them back and forth like a teepee. 

• Feet

This is something that most people don’t know, but our feet are one of the easiest tells. When you speak to someone, you tend to shift your feet around. 

Wiggling or kicking your feet while sitting down is also a way to tell if you’re happy or enjoying the conversation – if you notice someone withdraw their feet quickly or shift around on the spot, it probably means that they’re feeling threatened or wary. 

Now that you know which ones to avoid, let’s take a look at the best celebrity-proven body language tips that will help you exude and feel more confidence. 

From head to toe: Powerful Body language examples, used and approved by famous celebrities 

With a little practice, you too, can feel more confident in social situations. Let’s take a look at some great tips from head to toe – literally.

Great eye contact: Rachel Zegler

It takes courage to look anyone in the eye — even more so when you have to look at strangers who profess they hate you.

Zegler, known for her role as Lucy Gray Baird in the movie “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” became the subject of racist backlash and hate when she was casted as Snow White in the live-action Disney adaptation.

She responded by being direct with her comments. Not many took kindly to this, but Zegler stayed graceful and by reminding herself “to be present.”

She even gives her critics the benefit of the doubt, choosing to believe “they’re probably just having a really hard day.”

Her confidence is displayed in how she speaks to others, especially in interviews and red carpets.

She maintains great eye contact, showing that she is fully absorbed in the conversation and respects the other party. 

In fact, this short clip of her looking at her interviewer actually went viral on social media. Talk about being the queen of eye contact!

Giving a good laugh: Chris Evans

One of the best Internet memes is pictures of Chris Evans laughing. The actor laughs a lot in interviews, so much so that there’s even an eight-minute video of him purely guffawing. 

When Evans laughs, he tends to lean back and slap his left pec. Some fans have even used how far back he leans to measure how funny the joke was.

But the fact is that he has a genuine, captivating laugh, enough to charm anyone who hears it. And they’ll almost always laugh along.

That’s his secret. Having a good laugh together makes people feel emotionally closer to each other, and creates a sense of confidence in both parties.

It shows that the conversation is going along the right track, and each party is fully engaged and enjoying themselves.

Standing tall: Angela Bassett

The 65-year-old – yes, we find that hard to believe as well! – is one of America’s most celebrated actresses, best known for portraying Black women who made history, including singer Tina Turner and civil rights activists Rosa Parks and Betty Shabazz, the wife of African American leader Malcolm X. 

In recent years, Angela Bassett has made multiple appearances on the hit TV series “American Horror Story,” and now has a recurring role as Athena Grant-Nash on “911,” which she also works on as an executive producer.

But many will recall her role as Queen Ramonda in the film “Black Panther” and its sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in which she won a Golden Globe award for.

In every series or movie, Bassett commands the scene she’s in. This woman exudes confidence in every movement – one of her greatest strengths is her ability to speak with the positioning of her body and posture, coupled with her extremely toned arms and shoulders. 

The secret? A good workout and great posture. It’s life-changing.

Move your hands like Miss World: Priyanka Chopra 

Priyanka Chopra is known to many as a confident woman. As a model, actress, philanthropist and former winner of Miss World, you could say she’s an expert in the confidence department.

Despite English not being her mother tongue, she has become a professional through determination and practice.

When speaking, Chopra emphasises her message with hand gestures, making her speech clear and more impactful.

For example, throughout her famous Be Fearless speech, she constantly moves her hands to emphasise what she’s saying.

When she makes a point, she makes a puncturing movement with her hand to really ensure it comes across firmly.

When she talks about herself or her family, she continuously points to herself or clasps them to her chest, emphasising how it’s a personal topic.

To her, gestures provide additional context, emotion and emphasis to her message, displaying her iconic air of confidence. 

“Confidence is your best accessory. There is nothing else you need,” she said in an interview. “The only thing you need to wear well is your confidence.”

Strong handshake: Arnold Schwarzenegger

A handshake so great that it became an Internet meme. 

It originated from the movie “Predator,” between Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Dillon (played by Carl Weathers).

For those who don’t remember or know, the scene depicts the two characters meeting after a long time, greeting each other with a powerful, muscle-bulging handshake. 

The handshake is simply a mid-air arm wrestling match, where two old friends meet for the first time in years and decide to test their strength. Just two action heroes in their prime, possessing two of the biggest biceps in Hollywood, showing off their metaphorical “guns” on-screen.

It’s now one of the most famous Internet memes ever.

Schwarzenegger has undoubtedly become an inspiration to many for his success. He was an immigrant from Austria and pursued his dream of coming to America to become the world’s greatest bodybuilder, the highest-paid actor, and eventually governor of California. 

His “whatever-it-takes” mentality has gotten him this far, along with a firm handshake or two. It helps make a winning first impression and shows that you are confident, especially in situations where you’re meeting new people or entering a new environment. 

Be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Have a fantastic handshake.

Walk like you’re a duchess: Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex and former actress has been the centre of public scrutiny in the UK for years. After her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle suffered from harassment, false accusations, and bad press due to her past as an actress, divorcee and being mixed race. 

So it’s no surprise that this former actress has mastered a confident walk throughout her years as the Duchess of Sussex. 

For example, check out her arrival at the Platinum Jubilee Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral — a momentous occasion as it was their first public appearance in the U.K. since stepping back from royal duties.

Even though she was in sky-high thin heels, she walks smoothly up a staircase — and at times without looking at the ground and while smiling to the crowd.

In another video titled “Before She Was The Duchess of Sussex: Meghan Markle Talks Family, Fashion and Food,” her posture stands out.

She remains upright and exhibits strength in her public appearances – certainly a feat when critics are ready to strike at any given mistake. 

In fact, most of her public appearances with her husband show them holding hands.

While news sites have called this a careful tactic, most agree that the couple portrays genuine affection and togetherness in their body language.