the power of positive body language Body Language: Actions Do Speak Louder Than Words The scientific study of how controlling your body language could change your outcomes and consequently your life If you have ever wondered, if you could control your brain, or send it a message invoking it to cope better with a specific situation, a recent study has illuminated just We have all experienced stressful evaluative situation or social situation where we feel nervous or like interviews, public speaking, or simple evaluative social encounters. And in all these situations are preceded by a time of high-stress and anticipation. This is the norm s, or so we have thought. What if this whole time you held the key to controlling your performance in every stressful situation? This study suggests that in act, if you can control your body, you can control your mind, and consequently – not only distress- but you may be able to change the outcome. We have for a long time now understood that our body language -our non-verbal language- governs the way we are perceived and possibly judged by others. However -according to this study- it may be possible our non-verbals , may actually govern how we feel and think about ourselves. Accordingly, a smile may not just be an expression of happiness and content, but perhaps also a generator of it. The research uncovers the relation between power and responses related to social stress. Moreover, the study dove into control of thoughts and feelings while monitoring physiological changes mainly hormone levels, The experiment was conducted within a lab, by bringing in subject testing their hormone levels after asking them to hold a high power pose for two minutes – standing up with hands in the air as a V- and after them taking a low power pose – defined as any position where the person crunches over making themselves appear smaller- for the same amount of time. The findings were as follows, in terms of risk tolerance, you tend to be more confident in the outcome after a high power pose. As after posing both in high-power poses and low-power poses, subjects were asked to gamble. After a high-power pose 85% decided to gamble and take a chance, while only 65% chose to do so after a low power pose. it had less to do with the content of speech and more to do with in manner by which it was delivered. While most of us normally carry ourselves in a low-power pose before stressful situations, usually hunched and crunched-over, we are supposed to be doing the exact opposite. When we position ourselves in that way, the message we are communicating to ourselves is one of uncertainty, subsequently causing our levels of testesterone to drop, and raising our cortisol level significantly. What this does, is that we make ourselves both less-confident and more stressed-out. Simply, if you are able to be less fearful of a negative outcome or evaluation, you will be less nervous, and will undoubtedly deliver a better performance. The real contributing factor that drives the outcome, has to do with Presence; a passionate, enthusiastic, captivating, authentic, comfortable, and confident presence. So before the next job-interview or any socially stressful situation, you should try doing a high-power pose for 2 minutes. Look for somewhere private – a bathroom stall will do- stretch and throw your arms in the air, take a power stance, and tell your brain to prepare itself for the situation. Tell your brain you want to be confident and assertive now! Finally, I leave you with the words of the researcher, who hasevidently applied this to her personal life: Dont fake it until you make it, fake it until you become it.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 10:45:12 +0000
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