When traversing the many routes and possibilities while going through the school system of Hampton, I have found myself being looked at from many different perspectives.

There are some people I come across who see my glasses and dismiss me as a stereotypical nerd.

There are others who have them themselves been dismissed as underlings and have taken me in under their wings.

However, there are always things that we could do to become more social, fulfilling the need to be part of a community. I believe that the secret to popularity is not demeanor, but confidence.

When I say confidence, I don’t mean the jumping-off-a-bridge confidence, nor do I mean the going-to-the-school-dance confidence, for I know that each person has different concepts of confidence.

The type of confidence that I describe is the confidence to go up to a random stranger, shake their hand, and introduce yourself. In my recent memory, only one person comes to mind. I barely remember his name, poor fellow, but I remember his smile and friendly posture as he shook the hands of the group I was with. On this particular occasion, I was with a group of scouts at the Pinewood Derby.

Here are the most basic and effective techniques that I have found to boost confidence:

Engage in frequent conversation.

With practice comes perfection, and perfecting your conversation skills is a great way to gain confidence and prevent those dreaded awkward silences.

Face your (easier) fears.

Things like fears of strangers and fears of rejection are some of the more common fears. The more you practice walking through them, the easier it will be. With more difficult fears, there are some great sites like “Rejection Therapy” that offer help for conquering these internal gremlins.

Travel with friends.

When traveling down the hallway, find a friend around you to chat with. If there isn’t one there, go ahead and make one!

Stand and sit up straight.

There have been studies that show that people with better posture change their mood dramatically. It certainly worked for me!

Always wear a smile.

Positivity is the best way to gain self-esteem and confidence. Your mood will change similarly to when you sit up and stand up straight.

I hope you enjoy these tips.

Author: Ethan Hackett

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Jason Devaun/Flickr