Nikon D40 Self-portraits using timer/autofocus?

I know you can take a picture of something using a timer, but what's an easier way to do a self protrait with one without the remote? When I put it on timer and jump into the shot, it doesn't focus on my body, it focuses on what I focused on before I went in, so I end up being blurry. Is there a way to make it focus on people that just step in front of it?

Seems like you need a tripod here, or something to hold the camera dead steady… Next swith to aperture mode and set the aperture to f16.now, if you are indoors for sure, this will create a slow shutter speed… Hence the need for a tripod. Now since you are picking f16, which is a small aperture, the field, ei the 3d plane between you and the camera lens should all be in focus

Yes, focus before manualy to where you're going to be

It's doing that because you are using autofocus. Switch to manual focus & focus on something where you'll be standing. Set the self timer, then move into shot.

Job done.

You can make your life easier by spending about $15 to $20 for a Nikon ML-L3 remote shutter release.

With it, you can sit in your "portrait" location and take multiple self-portraits and the cameras auto-focus, focusing on you instead of many feet beyond your posing site.

If you still want to use the self-timer, you will have to have a stand in sit where you will be sitting, pre-focus using the lens in the manual mode and then shoot a series of your self-portraits.