Confidence is not always easy to have in social settings, especially when meeting new people. In 2021, a YouGov study found that 37% of Americans reported feeling “not very confident” in new social groups.

But there may be a simple gesture that can help you appear more confident. During a recent episode of communication expert Jefferson Fisher’s podcast, he sat down with Dr. Shadé Zahrai, PhD, a confidence expert and author of Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success. Dr. Zahrai shared a body language gesture that can help indicate if a person is confident or not.

She explains the tell-tale sign is in the upper body. “The distance between the chin and your chest,” she tells Fisher.

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What confident body language looks like

Dr. Zahrai explains why the distance between the chest and chin can indicate confidence.

“When you’re slouching, when you’re withdrawing, when you feel insecure, yeah sure shoulders go…but it’s also your head that drops,” she says, gesturing her head to tilt downwards. “So if you can just think, ‘Okay, what is the distance between my chin and my chest, and how do I elongate it? Not by looking at the ceiling, but in a natural state, you will naturally feel more empowered.”

Dr. Zahrai suggests that this also builds a sense of trustworthiness between others that will encourage connection.

“And you will naturally convey more of that big trust energy that we’re seeking,” she adds. “The idea is when you’re showing up as the person you want to be, people then respond to that.”

She notes that it has a snowball effect and can feel contagious to people you interact with.

“They respond more positively to that, which then makes you feel, ‘Maybe I really do deserve this. Maybe I do have a voice that is valued’,” she shares. “And then you show up more like that, and then they respond. So we almost create our environment based on how we choose to show up.”

According to Dr. Zahrai, this gesture is a term called “neck flexion.”

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What is neck flexion?

The source for Dr. Zahrai’s confidence body language suggestion comes from a 2025 study published in the journal Psychophysiology. Researchers found a direct correlation with neck flexion (the act of lowering the head) to negative impacts on feelings of power (i.e. confidence) as well as lower moods.

Dr. Zahrai expanded on this during another podcast appearance delving into neck flexion research, where she explained that it “leads us to feel more insecure, more doubtful of our ourselves. All we need to do is lengthen this distance right here [as she’s signaling with her fingers between her chin and chest], and we will start to feel more powerful.”

How to feel confident besides body language

Body language may be one aspect to feeling more confident, but these are a few more tips from the American Psychological Association (APA) that may help boost your confidence:

Try self-affirmations

Research supports self-affirmations for better personal and social well-being. You can do this by reflecting on your core values, identity, and positive traits.

Celebrate your successes

Confidence without impostor syndrome can be achieved by reminding yourself of both big and small personal “wins”—things like receiving an email with positive feedback or not moving on too fast when someone congratulates you.

Build your resilience

Building resilience is an important part of building confidence in yourself. The APA notes that there are four parts to building resilience: connection, wellness, healthy thinking, and meaning. These include things like continuing to connect with others through empathy, taking care of your body, moving towards goals, and learning from the past to build a more confident future.

A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a  gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing. 

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold. 

A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen. 

Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing. 

Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to  loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth. 

Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:

Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis 

Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community

Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or  in one of 60   countries where we work around the globe

Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door 

Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore

Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone. 

Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today. 

Navigating ways to address anxiety can be one of the most beneficial lessons a person can learn. Sometimes we can “trick” the very neurochemicals that send signals throughout the synapses of our brains. In doing so, we might (at least at times) help calm ourselves down when we detect danger.

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A clip of Dan Harris, the 10% Happier podcast host who is often deemed an expert on happiness, has been making the rounds where he gives a “three-step reset” for anxious feelings. During his appearance on radio host/podcaster Elvis Duran’s show, Harris shares what one can do when they begin to spiral.

First, recognizing that the spiral is happening in the first place is essential. “Notice this is happening,” Harris says. “I’m in a moment of anxiety.”

The second step might be rather surprising to some, especially since it’s steeped in science. “Step number two, and this is where it gets a little cheesy, is… hand on the chest. You can put your hand on your heart. You can hug yourself. A lot of data show this triggers the parasympathetic nervous system. In other words, the aspects of your nervous system that are activated when you’re resting. So it just relaxes you.”

Talk to yourself like you would a friend

And third is self-love, in the same way you would love a dear friend. “Say to yourself what you would say to a good friend. Using your own name. I’ll say to myself, usually, ‘Dude. I know you’re worried about losing everything and living in a flop house. But that’s irrational. You’re totally fine. And even if it did happen, you’d still have your wife and son. And all of your friends. And your purpose on earth to help other people. You’re good.’”

Harris adds context. “Moments like that, if you’re in the car or on the way to a terrible job, or you’re leaving a domestic situation… that stinks. Again, I can’t fix all of that for you. But I can help you navigate regulating your nervous system. Deep breaths, as mentioned, and talking to yourself in a supportive way. Especially if you’re alone and there’s nobody to share your problems with. You can be your own support system.”

He adds, of note, that simply because these tools can be helpful, doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t reach out for external assistance. “Doesn’t mean you don’t need other people—you do. But you have a lot within your own mind and heart right now that can help you.”

On Duran’s Instagram page (and posted elsewhere, as well), the three reset steps are written clearly in the comments:

“1: Notice you’re spiraling and call it out. ⁣2: Put your hand on your heart (yes really!)—science shows this calms you.⁣3: Talk to yourself like you would your friend, using your own name.”

Upworthy spoke with Dr. Anna Elton (LMFT), who relayed how helpful heart-touching can be in times that are perceived to be stressful. “Research shows that even simple self-touch can reduce cortisol and buffer stress responses by signaling safety to the nervous system. It increases body awareness, helping you feel more in touch with your body and more connected to yourself, while shifting attention away from anxious thought loops.”

Therapist Caitlin Blair helped explain to Upworthy further how it works. “Any practice where you are bringing awareness into your body, such as placing a hand on the heart, can help bring you out of a thought spiral and feel more grounded. Many ancient practices such as yoga have used the hand over heart to feel connected to their bodies and spirits.”

It’s not just the heart, she adds. “Other similar practices may include adding a hand on your abdomen or belly, where a lot of folks hold their stress, or focusing on their breathing. Anyone who considers themselves an over-thinker or compartmentalizer can really benefit from these body-based practices to reduce stress.”

There can be a lot of pressure to do what our communities and peers expect of us. Some people find absolute bliss by letting go of peer pressure. Imagine the joy in doing less of what is “required” and more of what’s right for you.

A question was posed in a recent r/AskReddit thread: “What’s something you didn’t realize was optional in life until you saw someone simply not doing it?” Comments ranged from common-sense opinions to valuable life lessons. It’s a curious thought about what things we might be engaging in that aren’t actually serving us. Perhaps you will remove a few of these from your behavioral patterns.

My opinion is necessary on this

A few quick keystrokes, and our thoughts and opinions are easily shared on a seemingly endless stream of topics. Often with little repercussions, someone might even find themselves telling a professional how to apply their field of expertise properly.

“That you don’t actually have to have an opinion on everything. Watching someone say “I don’t know enough about that to comment” made me realize silence is an option too.”

Here were some clever responses to that way of thinking:

“I find such peace in not forming opinions about a lot of things.”

“it’s cheeky but liberating for me when people ask, ‘what do you think about […]?’ and I reply, ‘I don’t’”

“Social media has been the biggest driver of people thinking they have to have an opinion on everything & it has destroyed the fabric of society.”

“Some things........

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