Mind Tricks To Give You A Boost

There’s proof you can manipulate the way you think just by making little body movements. (If only it were so easy to control everyone else’s brain!)

- Mina Azodi

You know that annoying saying “There’s no such thing as a quick fix”?

Well, science has proven that idea wrong. There’s a ton of cool data that explains how little things you do with your body can subconsciously—and instantly— influence your thoughts. “The brain associates certain physical feelings with specific emotions,” explains Art Glenberg, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Arizona State University. For example, research shows that if you hold a cup of warm coffee while talking with someone, you’ll feel more emotionally warm toward the person. We dug up other scientifically proven strategies that can give you an advantage in different situations. Want to feel more confident? Done. Need to make a difficult decision? Check. Read on to learn a few brilliant shortcuts.

1 SUMMON YOUR INNER BEYOTCH

THE TRICK: Put on a pair of sunglasses.

WHY IT WORKS: The key here is that your sunnies make you subconsciously feel concealed, so you’re more free to do (and say) whatever the heck you want. To that end, research in Psychological Science proved that when study participants wore sunglasses, they actually acted more selfishly than volunteers who wore untinted glasses. Well, now we know why so many celebs wear theirs 24-7.

2 RADIATE BIG-TIME CONFIDENCE

THE TRICK: Sit with one arm on a chair’s armrest, the other arm draped along the back of the chair, and one ankle casually crossed over the opposite knee.