If we adopt an open, powerful stance or seated posture, even if we are only pretending, can this affect not only our job chances at interview, say, but could it also increase the happy hormone, testosterone whilst decreasing the sad, stressy hormone, cortisol? And the answer is emphatically: yes. The above link is to a TED talk by Amy Cuddy who has studied this effect on us. Now the talk is about 20 minutes long, but I promise those 20 mins fly by. ((TED is a non profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas. Here is a link https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization))
It all boils down to adopting a powerful, open posture either seated or standing.
As well as by wearing an awe-inspiring costume, adopting a power pose for 2 minutes makes our brain think we are powerful, and it does this by increasing levels of the power hormone: testosterone.
When testosterone levels are higher, we are more assertive, optimistic and better capable of abstract thought. And this goes for both sexes. Yes, men have a lot more testosterone than women, but the hormone has the same positive effects on both sexes.
Sometimes I wonder if we would be happier if we concentrated on raising testosterone levels naturally, rather than poking about with complex neurotransmitters like serotonin.
Conversely, if we hold a closed posture – a bit curled up, arms and legs crossed or slumped over texting, testosterone levels fall and cortisol levels rise. Cortisol, the hormone of worry, sorrow and illness. So sitting waiting for interview, making ourselves small in the chair, sets us up to do less well in it than we might.
One of the experiments Amy Cuddy conducted involved a group of of people, divided into two groups, undergoing an extemely stressful, 5 minute interview. During the interview, the interviewers held expressionless faces and gave no feedback, plus the interview was video-ed. One group had held a power posture for 2 minutes prior to the interview, the other, a submissive posture. The resulting videos of both groups were shown to a panel who chose those who’d held the power posture over the submissive ones based soley on their presence – they came over as more passionate, enthusiastic, captivating, authentic and confident.
Spit tests confirmed that the power group had higher testosterone levels, whilst the submissive group higher cortisol.
The one thing that I would add to this is to learn how to breathe really well – I am starting to call it power breathing. Generally we tend to breathe way too high in the chest – and this gets worse with added stress. Incidentally, it is also possible to breathe too deeply into the abdomen. Learn how to breathe well and we have to be relaxed to be able to do it. There is nothing more powerful than someone who looks supremely open and relaxed. Witness Lady Gaga below. I teach this breathing to my clients – and it has amazing effects on them; not only do they feel more confident, they are physically much more powerful.
So if facing a stressful situation, we need to hide ourselves away somewhere, whip out the master of the uiniverse pose and stand supremely confident for 2 minutes, breathing as if no squirt can disturb our equilibrium, and then we proceed to go into the situation able to give it our best shot. Even if it is faked for now.
But, as Amy Cuddy finishes:
Don’t fake it until you make it;
Fake it until you become it.
