It’s not uncommon before a big event or happening to rely on crossing your fingers, or knocking on wood for good luck, but did you know that these practises might actually be making you ‘luckier’ by boosting your confidence, reducing nervousness and in turn improving performance?

 

With 53% of the UK believing in good luck and 33% considering themselves superstitious – it’s true that many of us believe that good luck could be behind some of our success in life. Although it will always be difficult to prove if the belief in good luck actually makes you luckier, scientific research argues that by believing in good luck, this boosts your confidence, and in turn, performance. So whilst the case may not be that you are getting ‘luckier’, having the feeling that something is on your side, helps to boost self-confidence and reduces nervousness, which can cripple people to the people of not being able to perform.

 

Conducting a study of 1,200 people, SlotsWise found out which good luck practises people believe in and how effective these appeared to be. The results showed that an optimistic outlook in life could be the answer behind success.

Which Good Luck Practises Give People Confidence?

 

The study found the 3 most popular practises believed to bring good luck. These were ‘knocking on wood’ which 30% of people believed in for good luck, 26% of people believed in crossing their fingers, and 14% believed that picking up a penny brought good luck.

 

Although it may feel that these good luck practises are simply sayings, they stem from ancient origins. The ancient superstition of knocking on wood is believed to stem from pagan cultures who believed that spirits and gods resided in trees. Knocking on tree trunks was thought to have roused the spirits to call on their protection for whichever task lay ahead.

 

Further, the symbol of crossing your fingers dates back to the pre-Christian belief in the powerful symbol of the cross, as the intersection is thought to mark a concentration of good spirits and served to anchor a wish until it could come true.

Despite the ancient origins, 20% of people in this study claimed that crossing their fingers has resulted in good luck. Now whether you believe that crossing your fingers can be the answer behind good fortune, it is the confidence that this brings that is most important.

How To Build Your Confidence In Everyday Life Through A Belief In Good Luck

Focusing on ‘lucky’ routines when you are feeling nervous or anxious before an important event; be this an interview, competition or just in everyday life, can help to build self-confidence. Taking the focus away from pressure on yourself, this can help to reduce nervousness, just like taking a deep breath, focusing on the symbol of crossing your fingers helps to centre your focus and removes elements of nervousness from our consciousness.

All of us have the ability in life to succeed, but some of us, unfortunately lack confidence at the times that we need it most. By placing belief in a practise, this will help to boost confidence, and in turn improve results.

Next time you are facing a situation that makes you feel nervous, attempt a simple good luck practise, you will feel your confidence building and there will be no end to what you can achieve.

See more information surrounding these practises here.