Feeling nervous as you head into an unknown social situation, interview or public speaking engagement? Jam to the right playlist before you head out, and you’ll not only enjoy a boost of energy, you could feel a surge of confidence too.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that the act of listening to an empowering tune can trigger unconscious feelings of power and strength. Surprisingly, the results had little to do with the lyrics. Rather, songs with a strong bass sound evoked an illusion of power in the listeners that carried over to the social situations they went into. That makes sense if you consider how we as a society tend to attribute individuals with deeper voices as having more power—consider Sam Elliott, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones or Kathleen Turner (who trained her voice to go deeper by sticking erasers between her teeth).
We are also conditioned to associate certain songs with victory like those played at athletic events, for example, Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger (Rocky, anyone?), AC/DC’s Thunderstruck and Queen’s We Are the Champions.
So before you head into an interview or a social situation that has you feeling anxious and jittery, slide up that bass and rock out to one of your favorite tunes. You’ll walk in standing taller and feeling more self-assured. (Just beware of pumping up the volume at a traffic light unless you want to be the recipient of angry stares from drivers who aren’t sharing your confident new vibe.)
A few of my favorite confidence boosting songs are Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine, Extraordinary by Liz Phair and Roar by Katy Perry.
What are your favorite songs that give you a shot of confidence?
Ah yes, the power of music to both soothe and energize. Great tip before a tough meeting etc. That and the power posture and we will nail it.
Yes, you will! 🙂 What are your favorite tunes that energize you, Sue?