Posture Deescalates Stress & Promotes Enthusiasm and Strength: The Power of Embodied Cognition


Posture Deescalates Stress & Promotes Enthusiasm and Strength:

The Power of Embodied Cognition

 

            A recent study demonstrated that taking an upright posture promotes genuine feelings of enthusiasm and strength and simultaneously assists in overcoming fear, hostility and other negative emotions. Posture appears to be a relatively easy to control behavior that can almost instantaneously improve your emotional mood. The study compared 39 upright posture keepers with 35 randomized slumpers.

 


 

(Nair, Sagar, Soller, Consedine & Broadbent, 2015, p. 634)

 

            The authors call the results of their study an addition to the existing literature on “embodied cognition” See also, Kraft and Pressman (2012) which found that smiling “can influence both cardiovascular and affective responses to stress.” (Nair, Sagar, Soller, Consedine & Broadbent, 2015, p. 638)

 


(Kraft & Pressman, 2012, p. 1374)

 

            Embodied cognition also accounts for the results of a 2006 study which found that exposure to frowning faces had a negative effect on mood and exposure to smiling faces had an uplifting effect on mood. (Jorgenson, 2006)

 

            In a similar way, Dialectical Behavior Therapy has an exercise called the “Half-Smile and Serenity” meditation. Brent Menninger gives and awesome rendition of this meditation at http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/half-smile_and_serenity.html. Try it out.

 

            So, today, try sitting, walking and standing tall. Walk with your chest out and stomach pulled in. Put on a half-smile as you take control over your emotions and encourage the emergence of genuine enthusiasm and strength while simultaneously overcoming “fearful, hostile, nervous … dull, sleepy, sluggish” affect. (Nair, Sagar, Soller, Consedine & Broadbent, 2015, p. 637)

 

Reference

 

Jorgenson, D. (2006). Effect of frequency of exposure to smiling and frowning faces on target mood. Midwestern Psychological Association 2006 Convention Presentation. Long Beach, CA: California State University Long Beach.

 

Kraft, T. L., & Pressman, S. D. (2012). Grin and bear it the influence of manipulated facial expression on the stress response. Psychological science, 23(11), 1372-1378.

 

Menninger, B. (2015, June 14). “Half-Smile and Serenity” Mediation. http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/half-smile_and_serenity.html

 

Nair, S., Sagar, M., Sollers, J. III, Considine, N. & Broadbent, E. (2015). Do slumped and upright postures affect stress responses? A randomized trial. Health Psychology, 34(6), 632-641.

 

 

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