It is not what we wear that matters, more importantly it is the way we carry ourselves which impacts the world we live in, inside and out, a lot more. Here we have compiled a list of reasons why having a good posture is important not only to how we perceive the world, but also to the physiological implications that it may involve,
- Posture Helps Reduce Stress: People have decreased levels of cortisol, which is often associated with stress, when they hold themselves in a good posture.
- Posture Influences How We Decide: It was found that people had increased self-confidence and a positive self-evaluation when they stood in an open, shoulder-back position. People who feel more powerful and less stressed tend to decide more thoughtfully, reflectively and on a positive mindset.
- Posture Helps Us Tolerate Higher Levels of Pain: Adopting a good posture or simply interacting with someone who holds an acceptable stance can influence our sensitivity to pain. It diminishes our pain threshold and exposes leaner hand-grip strength.
- Posture Helps Determine Status: The way you stand matters more than your hierarchical role. It has been shown, through different studies, that role and posture independently affect a person´s sense of power, but posture is more responsible for activating power-related behaviours.
- Posture Provides an Increased Tolerance of Risk: Posing high-power nonverbal displays causes a person to display a predisposition to take higher risks given the increased levels of testosterone.
So all in all, what we learn from this, is that the way we manage ourselves through life actually exudes the type of person we really are deep inside. One important pointer though, don´t overdo it. Make it seem casual. The best way to achieve this is by exercising. Give it a try, look around you, sense how people perceive your presence, sense how it makes you feel. If you are observant enough, you will notice that results are pretty much immediate.
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Pictures via HutchArt and JapPieter
