I hope you are enjoying yourself over this special time of the year – whatever that might look like for you: Hunkering down and reading or watching movies, celebrating in grand style with friends or getting together with family and enjoying favourite treats. In the last blog I already mentioned that I think it is important to make the most of this time and not to worry about your routines. I also mentioned a few strategies that will help when it comes time to get back into things. Today I want to continue on this track and look at another simple trick to overcome the sluggishness you might feel when it is time to get into work clothes, back to study or the gym.
Have you ever used or heard the expression “Grin and bear it”? Turns out there is at least some scientific basis to that. This originated in an often-cited classical study asking participants to hold a pencil between their lips. This activates the face muscles that are used for smiling and the simple act of doing this can make you feel more positive. Similarly, getting into an open body posture, standing tall with shoulders back and chest out can boost confidence. This is also called ‘power posing’ and if you are in New Zealand or a rugby fan, you may be familiar with one of our iconic types of power poses – the haka. If not, I encourage you to have a search and watch (also see below for a source that talks about it better than I ever could).
Improved mood and confidence in turn can benefit performance. For example, in a study on pretend job interviews, participants who adopted a power pose for just two minutes beforehand were rated higher on performance and were more likely to be chosen for the job than those who adopted low-power poses. Power posing also decreases the levels of stress hormone and may increase the ability to plan and make decisions.
How does that work? The idea behind power posing stems from the theory of embodied cognition. This theory suggests that our physical experiences and actions can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. By adopting powerful postures, we may be able to “trick” our minds into feeling more confident and assertive. There is still a lot of controversy in the research literature as to the reliability and strength of the effect, and I do think it is important to look at the evidence base for anything I do myself or recommend to my clients.
But, I also think this is a real case of just doing it. What do you have to lose? And it looks like simply knowing of the effect may increase the chance of it working. You are welcome!
If you are keen to learn more about how you can develop power for your physical and mental activity, follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. To work with me one-on-one to apply some of these principles to your own life and movement, message me for a free call. I look forward to hearing from you.
References (for the extra keen)
Cross et al. (2023)
Cuddy et al. (2012)
Gronau et al. (2017)
Niedenthal (2007)
Niedenthal et al. (2010)
Smith (2017)
Strack et al. (1988)