|
by Emily Clark
A good number of women who are attacked are chosen because of the
way they presented themselves.
Something about their posture told
the assailant, “here is a weak woman, I can take her”. If you
are scared out of your gourd, it will show.
Low self esteem or fearfulness looks like slouched shoulders;
head down, arms folded in front or in pockets. Confidence looks like
walking tall, shoulders back, head up, eye to eye contact, arms at
the side. One statistic revealed that those trained in martial arts
are less likely to ever be attacked because of the way they carry
themselves. They’ve been trained to defend themselves and to not
take a weak position. They have confidence.
Try this experiment. The next time you’re in a public place,
mall, grocery store, the beach, no matter, walk past all the people
and look them directly in the eye. You might want to smile a little
or offer a “how ya doin’?” so they don’t think you’re
stalking them. You’ll be amazed at the number of people who will
not look at you. They’ll look down or away but not at you. Of
course, in some cultures it’s not proper to look people in the
eye. Be sensitive to that. But in many circles you will find it hard
to find 10 people who will look at you.
By you looking at them, in some subconscious way you’re
communicating that you are not afraid. You’re not sending
nonverbal clues that you lack confidence. To get into the practice
of always looking people in the eye, take it one step further and
see what color eyes they have. It only takes a quick glance, you’re
not starring down people but if you make an effort to determine eye
color, you can be confident that you’re properly looking people
head on in the eyes.
Get your hands out of your pockets when you walk. Uncross those
arms that are locked across your chest. Not only does it look
stronger and friendlier to have open arms, it’s safer. Should the
need arise that you need to thwart off a would-be attacker; you’re
going to need your arms to free yourself. How easy it is for one to
come up from behind you and grab you if your arms are tucked neatly
away? You’re just making it easy. How can you poke out eyeballs,
or jab Adam’s apples or throw an elbow to the ribs if your arms
are hugging yourself.
“But I AM scared,” you confess. There are two things you can
do about that. One is take some self defense classes and learn how
to not be afraid. The other and immediate method to change how you
project yourself is to fake it until you make it. You may be scared
out of your wits, but if you get the self talk going, “I am NOT
afraid” and get the body language to follow it, head up, shoulders
back, arms open, then you’re at least giving the allusion that you
are not a weak prey.
Half of your battle is in the mind. Do something about it.
The information contained in this article is for educational
purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or
cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before
beginning any health care program.
|
