In her famous TED talk “Your body language may shape who you are”, Amy Cuddy presents her fascinating research on the psychological effects of body language. She explains how purposely choosing to stand in a power posture (up tall and arms open) versus an insecure posture (arms folded and shoulders hunched) can literally alter our hormonal state and how people respond to us. Her research shows that people who were randomized to two minutes of a power posture before walking into a mock interview performed better than those randomized to two minutes of an insecure posture before the interview. She summarizes her recommendations with the title of this article “Fake it until you become it,” noting that the more famous cliche “Fake it until you make it” results in a feeling of fraudulence — that even if you are successful you still feel like an imposter.
I loved her talk and thesis on many levels. The first and most obvious rides on the coattails of my insistence that we have to monitor our thoughts. We need to be so careful about our default thinking (i.e; focus on gratitude and joy over fear and complaints.) By doing so, we can change our hormonal state and literally alter our physiology, becoming happier and healthier. She takes it a step further, demonstrating that if we choose to take up space with how we stand, we lower or stress hormone cortisol and we feel more powerful. Thus we can add our posture to the growing list of things that we do have control over and that can positively affect our mental and physical health!
Additionally, she champions the idea that we don’t have to have everything figured out to become our best selves. We can “act as if…” This is one of the simplest suggestions that I often give clients and I use myself in every area of growth. Figure out who you want to be and start taking actions that align with that vision. For example, when I wanted to improve my nutrition, I considered that the healthiest people in the world eat lots of leafy greens and I started to make a salad with every dinner. Even if I only have a few bites, I am cementing my identity as a person who eats healthily and it sets the stage for future good choices. When I wanted to get back into running after many years off, I thought about what a runner would do. I decided to buy new sneakers and sign up for a race. Even though I only started with a couple of miles every day, these actions helped me mold my vision of myself into the runner I ultimately became.
So the call to action this month is to do something that speaks to the person you want to become. Stand up straighter, order that side salad, or join that tennis league. Even if it’s doesn’t feel authentic just yet, trust that it will in time! As always, it is by seeking that we transform!
https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are?language=en