You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to be in control of your own body or to feel comfortable in your own skin. Still, working out, whether you’re running or rock climbing, helps improve your strength and stamina and lets you get in touch with your own body.
Having correct posture also helps you have confident body language. People who are graceful are also known to be confident because they’re proud of what they have to bring to the world. Slouching or curling up makes it look like you’re trying to hide, even if that’s not the case.
As you may know from yoga, breathing in and out, and focusing on your breathing, helps you be in touch with your body and can make you a more centered person. This is a must if you want to be graceful.
Doing yoga can improve your flexibility tremendously. Take a beginner’s class and see what a difference just a few hours a week can make.
Don’t wear clothing that restricts your movement in awkward ways. High heels may look graceful, for example, but they shouldn’t be worn for long periods. Baggy oversized pants give you a weird shuffle that is not very graceful. Always wear clothes that make you feel confident and attractive, and style your hair accordingly. Make sure that your clothes are free of wrinkles, and check them for stains after you eat. It’s also not graceful to have a button popping open or to have your shirt halfway untucked, so do a clothes check every few hours. If you want to go for a more elegant style, a simple black dress can do the trick. Also clothes in subtle colors, such as browns, pale pinks, or grays, can help you look more graceful. To accessorize, just a pearl necklace, some simple stud earrings, or a silver bracelet can do the trick. You don’t want to overdo it with bulky accessories, which can keep you from looking graceful.
Make sure that your foundation matches your skin color. Remember that not enough makeup is always better than too much. If you wear concealer or blush, make sure that it’s fully blended.
Of course, if you’re walking next to someone with a slower walking pace, then you should slow your pace down out of respect. Jogging or running can help you improve both your form and stamina when walking.
If you’re sitting on a bus or a train, try not to take up too much room. Being a space hog isn’t very graceful.
That said, graceful people aren’t perfect. If you blow up at someone, you have to give a sincere apology.
Part of speaking well means thinking before you speak. If you plan what you’re going to say before you say it, then you’ll be more likely not to have to backtrack and to be clear in your words. In order to speak well, you should also have a mastery of proper grammar. For example, you shouldn’t say “Him and me went to the movies” when it’s really “He and I went to the movies,” and so on.
You’ll also learn how to interact with a wider variety of people, which is also something that graceful people know how to do. If an acting class isn’t up your alley, you can try taking a dance class or a ballet class. That can help with your poise, coordination, and composure as well.
Good manners are a big part of being polite, too. You need to not chew with your mouth open, hold doors for people, stand when you’re introduced to a new person, look people in the eye when you talk to them, wait your place in line, and generally demonstrate good intentions if you want to be graceful.
If you brag a lot, people will be less likely to hang out with you. You should feel grateful for all of the advantages you have in life instead of bragging about everything you’ve accomplished. Sure, you might have done a lot, but there’s no need to broadcast it if you want to handle your good luck and achievements with grace.
People who have poise also maintain their poise in difficult situations. They don’t get flustered or fight back to people who are rude, vulgar, or mean.
To be considerate, you need to practice empathy and to really think about what another person is thinking and going through. For example, if your friend just got dumped by her long-term boyfriend, then she may not be too thrilled to hear about your hot new date just yet.
People who are respectful don’t interrupt people when they are speaking. They don’t talk on the phone when they’re checking out at a counter. They don’t hog a four-person table at a cafe to themselves, either.
Tactful people don’t make comments that are likely to embarrass people. For example, if your friend just went through a breakup, you might not want to make a comment about it in front of a group of people.
When you help people, you should do it out of the goodness of your heart, not because you want something in exchange.
Along with not holding grudges, don’t gossip about the people you less-than-like, either. There’s no sense in spreading bad vibes, and it’ll probably get back to those people and will cause more drama.
Of course, if people are just criticising you for the sake of being mean, then you should ignore it. But when people are truly trying to help you, you should be receptive to it so you can improve as a person.
