How you hold your body – often called body language – can tell more about you than your words. Sitting up straight or
Most people think of posture as something that simply affects the way we look. But posture is much more than that. It can say a lot about our personality, our mood, and even our health. For example, did you know that how you sit can actually increase or decrease your risk of depression?
Slouching body language can be a sign of being unfriendly, anxious, or bored. It can also mean you're feeling apathetic or extremely tired. Teenagers slouch in their desks in high school, so unless you want to seem surly and angsty, it's best to sit up tall and straight.
Stress, anger, depression, anxiety, fear, and the startle reflexes all cause a familiar pattern in posture that can be found in, basically all living things.
Our personality—the unique combination of emotional and behavioral characteristics that make us who we are—causes us to adopt certain postures. On the flip side, our posture affects the way we feel inside and how we behave, especially once the posture has become deeply learned and we are stuck in it all the time.
There is a connection between posture and health, specifically a person's mental health. Over time, a person's slouching can end up causing major issues down the line, both physically and mentally. While sitting up may seem like a small change, it can have a great impact on a person's physical and mental health.
The next time you are feeling down or depressed, pay attention to your posture. You'll likely be slumped with your head and neck curved forward and down. A simple change in posture may help you feel more confident, energetic, and happy.
Well, slouching is commonly associated with feelings of insecurity and a lack of self-confidence, which can be detected by our subconscious, even if we don't actively feel sad. Because posture and our emotional states are so closely connected, it's essential to sit up tall or walk around like you own the place…
People who have low self-esteem can often tend to slouch with shoulders rolled inwards as a way of protecting themselves. In many cases, this is a self-esteem issue, as the person doesn't feel confident enough to be 'tall and proud'.
Depression has been noted to be related to changes in posture, such as increased head flexion, increased thoracic kyphosis, a trend toward pelvic retroversion, and an increase in scapular distance [18].
Even if your posture has been a problem for years, it's possible to make improvements. Rounded shoulders and a hunched stance may seem like they're set in stone by the time we reach a certain age, and you may feel you've missed the boat for better posture. But there's a good chance you can still stand up taller.
Take breaks from computer and TV time, and exercise more. "In six to 12 weeks," says Doshi, "you'll see an improvement in your posture."
The term posture refers to how we hold our bodies as well as the overall physical form of an individual. Posture can convey a wealth of information about how a person is feeling as well as hints about personality characteristics, such as whether a person is confident, open, or submissive.
Leaning back in your seat allows you to carefully observe a situation without acting on it. People that sit in a reclined position are wary, and prefer to take things in as opposed to getting involved. Sitting upright with good posture indicates that you're confident and ambitious.
Many studies suggest that yes, there is a correlation between low confidence and anxiety on one end and poor posture on the other. The way we walk, sit and breath affects the way we feel.
Practice Proper Posture: Standing or sitting straight with your shoulders back and your head held up, nonverbally reflects your confidence. It doesn't matter how tall you are, when your posture is straight and aligned, instead of shoulders slumped and head down, you will appear in control and confident.
“Some of the most common insecurities and relationships include emotional insecurity, attachment insecurity, physical insecurity, financial insecurity, professional insecurity, and social insecurity,” explains LaTonya P.
Fidgeting — Crossing and uncrossing one's legs, tugging at one's clothing, adjusting our position or posture or other movements made in a restless or repetitious manner tend to send the message that we are nervous or feeling insecure about our surroundings.
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness. Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters. Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much.
People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression.
You may be elated or depressed, but others can't tell. You may seem uncaring and unresponsive, but you're still feeling an emotion. This is called flat affect. Flat affect can be the result of different neurological and psychological conditions.