Power Posing: How Your Body Language Can Change You

Have you ever thought about how your body language affects you? It’s more than just how others see you. It can also change how you see yourself. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says that “power posing”—standing in a confident way, even when you don’t feel confident—can make you feel more confident. It might even help you succeed.

The Power of Body Language

We often focus on what body language says to others. But what about what it says to ourselves?

How Others See You

Body language is a type of language. It’s communication. We use it to judge people. We make quick judgments about others based on their body language. These judgments can affect important things, like:

• Who gets hired
• Who gets promoted
• Who gets asked on a date

For example, one study showed that people could predict if a doctor would get sued just by watching short, silent videos of the doctor talking to patients. It wasn’t about if the doctor was good at their job, but if people liked them.

How You See Yourself

We often forget that our body language also affects us. Our bodies can change our thoughts, feelings, and even our hormones.

Power Poses vs. Weak Poses

So, what are power poses? They are ways of standing or sitting that make you look and feel powerful.

What Power Poses Look Like

In the animal world, power is shown by taking up space. Animals stretch out and make themselves big. Humans do the same thing. When we feel powerful, we open up our bodies.

Think of someone who has just won a race. They raise their arms in the air and lift their chin. This is a universal sign of pride, even for people who have never seen it before.

Here are some examples of power poses:

• Standing with your feet apart and hands on your hips (“Wonder Woman” pose)
• Sitting with your arms behind your head and feet on a desk
• Leaning forward on a desk with hands planted

What Weak Poses Look Like

When we feel powerless, we do the opposite. We close up and make ourselves small. We don’t want to take up space.

Here are some examples of weak poses:

• Hunching over
• Crossing your legs and arms
• Touching your neck

The Science Behind Power Posing

Scientists have studied how power posing affects our bodies and minds. They found that it can change our hormones.

Hormones and Power

Powerful people tend to have high levels of testosterone and low levels of cortisol.

• Testosterone is linked to dominance.
• Cortisol is linked to stress.

When you power pose for just two minutes, your testosterone levels can go up, and your cortisol levels can go down. This can make you feel more confident and less stressed.

The Experiment

In one experiment, people were asked to hold either high-power poses or low-power poses for two minutes. Then, they were given a chance to gamble. People who held high-power poses were more likely to gamble. They also had higher testosterone levels and lower cortisol levels.

How Power Posing Can Change Your Life

Power posing isn’t just about feeling good in the moment. It can also change your life in meaningful ways.

Job Interviews

One place where power posing can be helpful is in job interviews. Before an interview, many people sit down, look at their phones, and hunch over. This makes them feel small and powerless.

Instead, try power posing in the bathroom or elevator before the interview. This can help you feel more confident and make a better impression.

In one study, people who power posed before a mock job interview were more likely to get hired. It wasn’t about what they said, but how they said it. They brought their true selves to the interview.

Fake It Till You Become It

Some people worry that power posing feels fake. They don’t want to feel like an imposter. But Amy Cuddy says, “Don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it.”

Power posing isn’t about pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s about finding your inner power. It’s about changing your body language until you actually feel confident.

How To Use Power Posing

Ready to try power posing? Here’s how:

1. Find a private space. This could be a bathroom stall, an elevator, or your desk behind closed doors.
2. Choose a power pose. Stand or sit in a way that makes you feel powerful.
3. Hold the pose for two minutes.
4. Go into your stressful situation feeling more confident.

Share the Science

The great thing about power posing is that anyone can do it. It doesn’t require any special equipment or resources. Share this information with people who need it most. Those with no status or power can use this in private and change their lives.

Conclusion

Your body language can change how you think and feel about yourself. By power posing for just a few minutes each day, you can boost your confidence, reduce your stress, and achieve your goals.

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