05 / Confidence guide
How to Look Confident: 5-Second Checklist Before You Walk In
How to look confident comes down to the first five seconds: the moment you walk through the door. This checklist takes about that long, and people will notice the difference.
Save this guide to PinterestThe 5-second checklist
- 01
Exhale before the door
One slow breath out, longer than your breath in. It drops your shoulders, softens your jaw and slows your heart rate a little. You walk in looking settled instead of braced.
TipBreathe out through your nose, not a big sigh through your mouth.
- 02
Pause for one beat
Stop in the doorway for one beat instead of rushing through it. It feels long to you and looks natural to everyone else. A pause says you are comfortable being seen, and it gives you a second to look around the room.
TipCount “one” in your head. That’s all the pause you need.
- 03
Free your hands
No clutching your phone, bag strap or sleeves. Busy hands read as nerves. Put your phone away, let your bag sit on your shoulder and let your arms hang.
TipIf you must hold something, hold it in one hand, low and still.
- 04
Slow your first three steps
Nerves speed you up, and rushing reads as nervous. Take your first three steps slower than feels natural. After that, your normal walk takes over, but the first impression is already made.
TipLand each of the three steps on a count, like the beat in a runway walk.
- 05
Find a face
Look at someone, not the floor, then smile. It can be a friend, a host or just a friendly face. Eye contact turns your entrance from something happening to you into something you chose.
TipLook first, then smile. A smile that arrives before the eye contact looks forced.
Why the first five seconds matter
People form a first impression of how confident you are very quickly, and much of it comes from how you move, not what you say. Your pace, your hands, where you look and whether you stop or rush all happen before you open your mouth. The good news is that all of them are physical, so you can practise them.
You don’t have to feel confident to look it. Most people who walk in well feel exactly as nervous as you. They just have a routine for the doorway.
Practise it at home
- Stand outside a room with the door closed.
- Breathe out slowly, then open the door.
- Step into the doorway and pause for one beat.
- Walk three slow steps in, with free hands.
- Look at a point where a person would be, and smile.
Do it five times in a row. Then film one from inside the room, as if you are the person watching. Watch it back without sound. Does it look calm? Is the pause visible? Are your hands still?
Beyond the doorway
Once you are in, the same ideas carry on. Keep your walk at a steady pace, your eyes up and your arms loose. For a full guide to crossing a room, read confident walk: how to walk into any room. For what the rest of your body is saying, see body language that reads as confident.
Questions
What if I feel nervous even when I do all five?
That is normal. The checklist changes how you look, not how you feel. Most people notice the feeling catches up after a few weeks.
Does this work for online calls?
Partly. Exhale before you join, keep your hands still and look at the camera rather than your own face.
Common mistakes
- Walking in while finishing a text.
- Rushing through the door to get it over with.
- Scanning the floor for somewhere to stand.
- Holding your breath, which lifts your shoulders.
- Forcing a big smile before you have looked at anyone.
Défilé · Walk score
Film your entrance in Défilé and get your walk score.
Film a walk and Défilé scores it out of 100, shows you the one thing holding it back and gives you a short drill to fix it. Your video never leaves your phone.
On Android? Défilé is coming soon to Google Play.
