For actors, creatives, and entrepreneurs alike, confidence isn’t a luxury. It’s the fuel that drives risk-taking, resilience, and brilliance under pressure. But what happens when self-doubt creeps in, nerves take over, or imposter syndrome starts whispering in your ear?
Enter Jenna Manning, Empowerment Coach and Director of AMCA London, a leading voice in performance psychology and peak mindset training. Through years of coaching actors and entrepreneurs alike, Jenna has developed and refined practical, science-backed techniques to build true, unshakeable confidence — not the fake-it-till-you-break kind.
Here, we break down some of the top confidence-boosting practices Jenna shares with her clients — techniques anyone can apply, whether they’re stepping onto a film set, into a meeting, or just into a version of themselves they haven’t fully claimed… yet.
1. The Superhero Pose: Rewire Your Physiology in 2 Minutes
It sounds simple — even silly — but science says it works. Standing in a strong, open posture (feet apart, hands on hips, chin up) for just two minutes can shift your entire emotional state. Research by Amy Cuddy found that this “power pose” lowers cortisol(the stress hormone) and boosts testosterone (linked to confidence and assertiveness).
Jenna’s Coaching Tip: “Before an audition, presentation, or tough conversation, stepinto a private space and hold this pose. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Tell your body: You’re safe. You’re powerful. Your mind will follow.”
2. Embodied Confidence: Act ‘As If’
Confidence isn’t a feeling — it’s a practice. One of Jenna’s foundational teachings is the idea of embodying the traits of your confident self, even before you believe they’re real.Walk the way your most confident self would walk. Speak the way she would speak.Hold eye contact. Relax your shoulders. Own the room — even if your heart’s racing.
The key? Consistency. The more often you show up as your confident self, the faster your brain rewires to accept that as your true self.
Jenna says: “So many actors think they have to feel confident first — but that’sbackwards. Behaviour leads emotion. Act confident, and confidence catches up.”
Tuning Into the Golden Frequency
There’s a deeper layer to stepping into your power — aligning with what some call theGolden Frequency. This is a vibrational state linked to authenticity, purpose, and high self-worth. When you’re in the Golden Frequency, your energy is coherent, your actions are aligned with your truth, and others naturally feel your presence.Jenna often weaves this concept into her work, encouraging clients to not just perform confidence, but to vibrate at the frequency of their highest self. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about being in tune. When you align with this inner frequency, confidence stops being a mask and starts becoming your natural state.
3. Rewire the Inner Critic: Swap Judgment for Curiosity
One of the biggest barriers to confidence is the inner voice that critiques. Jenna teachesher clients how to separate from that voice and reframe it with curiosity, not self-judgment.
Practice this: Notice the critical thought: “You’re going to mess this up.” Pause.Breathe. Reframe: “Is that really true? What if I nail this?” Ask: “What would I say to afriend in this situation?”T
his kind of cognitive reframing pulls actors out of survival mode and into creative flow— which is where their best work happens.
4. Anchor Your Wins: Build a Confidence Archive
Jenna encourages all her clients — actors and entrepreneurs alike — to document their moments of courage, progress, and success, no matter how small.Create a “Confidence Journal” with entries like: “Today I auditioned even though I was terrified.” “I asked for feedback.” “I said no to something that didn’t align.” “I spoke up when I usually stay quiet.”
Over time, this becomes a concrete record of growth — a powerful antidote to self-doubt.
Jenna explains: “When fear says ‘You’re not good enough,’ your journal says ‘Yes, I am— and here’s the proof.’”
5. Breath work for Presence & Nerve Control
The body can’t be in a state of panic and presence at the same time. Breath is the fastest way to switch out of anxiety and into grounded awareness.
Try Jenna’s “4-7-8 Breath”: Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold for 4 seconds. Exhale slowly for8 seconds. Repeat 3–5 times.
This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (your calm response) and brings youback to centre — ideal before a performance, pitch, or even a difficult conversation.
6. Future Self Visualisation: Train Your Brain for Brilliance
Jenna incorporates mindset and mental rehearsal work into her coaching to help clients imagine and embody their future selves — the version of them who already feels confident, aligned, and successful.
The practice: Close your eyes. Picture yourself 1 year from now. You’re thriving, doing the work you love, confident and calm. How do you speak? How do you carry yourself?What habits got you there?
Why it works: The brain doesn’t distinguish between real and vividly imagined experiences — so by repeatedly visualising your “future self,” you’re conditioning your mind and body to step into that reality.
Final Thought: Confidence is a Practice, Not a Personality
Confidence doesn’t belong to the lucky, the extroverted, or the genetically gifted. It’s a trainable skill, one that anyone — actor or not — can cultivate with the right tools, practice, and support.
That’s what Jenna Manning champions through her work at AMCA London —empowering people not just to perform, but to lead, live, and express from a place ofauthenticity and power.
In Jenna’s words: “Confidence isn’t about never feeling fear. It’s about learning how to move with fear and still show up as your boldest self. Every single time.”
