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How Standing Up Straight Can Change Your Disposition Instantly
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The next time you are feeling a little down, look at the way you are standing. Are you slouched over, shoulders rounded, and in a generally hunched position? Take a minute and change your posture: stand up straight, shoulders back, abdomen tucked in, and look straight ahead. See if you feel any differently. If you are like any of the people who have been tested by researchers, you will have felt an instant shift from sad to glad.
Many psychology professors and researchers have decided to see how something so slight, so easily carried out, and so quickly detected could shift someone’s demeanor. The studies are still in the early phases of development, so the conclusions have some contingencies attached. For example, the first test that comes from researchers in New Zealand only involves people who are mildly depressed and not anyone who has been diagnosed as being depressed.
Researchers who created this study at The University of Auckland concluded that while they were able to see a change in the disposition of those who shifted their stance, they also acknowledged that more studies are required to make a complete determination. Their findings are to be published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry in March 2017.
Of the 61 people who participated in this study, all stated that they were either mildly or moderately depressed. Half of the people were told to exhibit good posture and were told exactly what constituted it. The rest of the people were not given any additional instructions.
The first group, with good posture, was told that they were testing a form of sports tape, and the tape was applied to keep their posture intact. The other group received pieces of tape randomly applied with no further commentary. Both groups were told that the study was about the effectiveness of the tape.
Both groups were tested to see what their moods were like after the test. The group with the good posture were happier, stronger, less tired, and more enthusiastic than those with bad posture.
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Photo credit: bigstock.com
The next activity measured performance level during a stressful situation such as giving a five-minute speech with just a few minutes to prepare it. There was no difference between the two groups; however, researchers noticed that the group that had good posture used the word “I” fewer times showing that they were less self-involved, and they had fewer pauses.
While it is already known that if you want to improve your mood there are a number of things you can do that will upgrade your demeanor instantly. Exercising releases the endorphins that will put you in a good mood, going outdoors and getting some fresh air gives you a change of pace, and eating food that is good for you will nourish your body and soul. Improving your posture is an instantaneous fix that you might want to add to your repertoire of fixes for mild depression.
The researchers who have dedicated themselves to studies involving depression have found that when you stand up straight and assume a position of confidence, your disposition will follow. By the same token, if you are feeling low and you slouch down and shuffle your feet, you are going to feel as bad as you already felt.
There was another study that was conducted and published in 2012 where 110 students were asked to walk down the hall slouched over; next, they were asked to skip down the same hall. The group felt a reduced level of energy when they slouched and more energy when they skipped down the hall.
While researchers are not trying to prove that having good posture can eliminate your depression, they are trying to show that there is a quick way to shake that bad mood by simply standing up and taking a stance of confidence. There is a saying: “Fake it until you make it.” This means if you want to be happy, standing up straight isn’t going to undo your depression, but it could lighten your mood and make you feel like you can handle what comes your way. Often the opposite tends to become true – when you are feeling down and walking around slouched over and feeling depressed, everything seems to go wrong.
READ ALSO: Simple Ways To Improve Your Posture Right Now Infographic
If you find that you are depressed much of the time you should seek the advice of your doctor to see if there is a medication that can even out a potential chemical imbalance. If you have the regular run-ins with depression and have a bad day, it won’t hurt you to try improving your posture to see if you feel better by embracing that. It doesn’t cost anything, it only takes a few minutes, and you may be surprised at how much easier it is to face the obstacles causing your impaired mood.
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