5 Ways To Change Your Body Language To Boost Confidence And Bust Stress
It is possible to “fake it ‘til you make it” — at least with your body language! (Photo: Stocksy)
How many times were you told by your parents or teacher to sit up straight or smile? Turns out, they might have been on to something — research shows that taking on certain postures and facial expressions can change how others perceive you, how you yourself feel, and even levels of certain chemicals in the body.
"The body and mind is an entire feedback system and you can use it to your advantage," nonverbal communication expert Elena Svetieva, PhD, a research fellow at the Catolica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics, tells Yahoo Health. "Changing your posture, for example, by sitting up and leaning back can trigger off an entire set of associations in your mind about powerful people and the kind of qualities they have."
Want to give it a try? Here are five postures, poses, and expressions that can help you feel more powerful, less stressed, and more at ease.
(Photo: Daly and Newton)
The Expansive Sleep Pose
How to do it: Lie down with your arms and legs outstretched.
What it does: It will make you feel more powerful.
The logic: Many people sleep in the fetal position, which is considered one of the most vulnerable positions. “If you wake up in a fetal position, you’re waking up on the wrong side of the bed,” said “power pose” expert Amy Cuddy, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, as reported by Business Insider. Instead, lying in an open position with your arms and legs outstretched will leave you feeling bigger and more powerful.
Related: The Best Sleep Positions For All Your Aches And Pains
(Photo: Getty Images/Thomas Barwick)
The Loomer
How to do it: Lean forward over a desk while standing.
What it does: It will help you command a room.
The logic: Research shows that power poses, which involve the expression of power through nonverbal authoritative posture, can actually increase testosterone, decrease the stress hormone cortisol, and increase feelings of power. “The Loomer” pose (Cuddy coined the name) will make you the spotlight of the room, and help you feel dominant. Fun fact: The pose is named after Lyndon B. Johnson, “who was 6’4”, and he used his stature very thoughtfully-to both intimidate and seduce,” she told Inc.
(Photo: Getty Images/Alistair Berg)
The CEO
How to do it: Lean back in your chair, with your arms behind your head, or over the top of the chair.
What it does: It will force a feeling of comfortableness and ease.
The logic: It opens up your body. “If people knew how effective your body can be in changing your mood, they’d be stunned,” says Svetieva. “It might make a small difference, but it might be all the difference you need.”
Related: How To Feel Confident In A Swimsuit
(Photo: Stocksy/Lumina)
The Performer
How to do it: Stand with a widened stance, and put your hands in the air as if you were in front of a roaring crowd after a performance.
What it does: It will make you feel confident.
The logic: Feeling nervous about giving a big presentation or going on a first date? By standing in this position for two minutes before a big moment, you’ll actually experience testosterone levels go up and cortisol levels go down, according to Cuddy.
(Photo: Stocksy/Lisa & Fahad)
The Smile
How to do it: You already know!
What it does: It will help reduce stress.
The logic: So, the expression “grin and bear it” may actually have some scientific backing. In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, participants were asked to hold chopsticks in their mouths and force a smiling facial expression, or hold a neutral expression, while completing stressful tasks. The study participants who were instructed to smile had better recovery from the stressful tasks, compared with those who had to hold the neutral expression.
