Posture Influences Mood

Did you know that physically looking down actually makes you feel more depressed and sad? I was shocked when I learned that. The reasoning behind it is that if you body posture and facial muscles are pulled downwards, it tricks our body in feeling the way that we present. Henry David Thoreau actually notices this phenomenon when he reflects upon the opposite action: "Though my life is low, if my spirit looks upward habitually at an elevated angle, it is as if it were redeemed. When the desire to be better than we are is really sincere we are instantly elevated, and so far better already." So, if gazing towards the ground, and having our posture slumped, actually makes us feel unhappy, doing the opposite makes us feel happier and more confident. Think of the Wonder Woman pose, with the chest out, and arms outwards, with her hands on her hips. Doing that actually has been shown to boost confidence almost instantly. Clearly, we need to rest, so no need to change around your entire life, but consider small changes you can make to even just change the way you body is resting. Instead of playing a game on a handheld device, play it on a larger screen. Use something under your laptop to raise your head higher as you look at it. Or maybe like Henry David Thoreau did, look upwards and just gaze into the sky, and notice how it uplifts your spirit as you rest your eyes there.

"Though my life is low, if my spirit looks upward habitually at an elevated angle, it is as if it were redeemed. When the desire to be better than we are is really sincere we are instantly elevated, and so far better already.”

~ Henry David Thoreau