Five surprising things that happen once our posture changes:
1. We have more positive thoughts.
Sitting up straight means we are more likely to have positive thoughts or remember positive memories in general. [2] Proper body posture gives our bodies more openness, pride, and our mind an overall feeling of well-being. These positive feelings translate into confidence, and enhance the way we perceive our thoughts.
2. Energy levels go up.
Our energy significantly increases if we have proper posture. Walking and sitting up straight forces our backs to stretch, and actually makes us feel happier. We release feel good endorphins, boost our self-esteem, and makes us feel more awake. On the contrary, we become more drained and tired if we slump over. In fact, happy people who take a slumped stance report feeling weighed down and tired.
3. We avoid depression
A slouched posture actually generates depression. In fact, happy people who try on a slumped stance start to feel sad. This is because closing the chest makes us feel closed off, lessening our confidence and depressing our emotions. Conversely, sad people who assume a happier posture will begin to feel better. [3]
4. We influence our opinions
Nodding our heads affects our opinions without us realizing. Head movements affect how confident people are in their assessments of how good or bad arguments they are listening to are – head nodding boosts how much we agree with ourselves. For arguments we believe are strong, we are more confident in our opinions – similarly, when we think arguments are weak, head-nodding boosts our opinion that the argument is bad. [4]
5. Physical pain is reduced
We can reduce physical pain by hugging ourselves. By doing so, we stimulate oxytocin, dopamine, cultivates patience, and balance our nervous system. Researcher Kelly McGonigal had 20 participants willingly receive small pulses of pain, and found that those who crossed their arms in from of them reported less pain. Of course, the relief is temporary, but it has been found to block pain in several studies.
Source 1 / Source 2 / Source 3 / Source 4
