2 Minute Power Poses Can Increase Your Performance

Power Poses

Two minutes of Power Posing before stressful events increases our performance!! We all benefit from showing up as our best self. When we feel anxious and stressed that is nearly impossible. Our speech and body language changes and our ability to find just the right word is difficult. Our ability to connect with others and share in a relaxed manner are challenged. Dr. Cuddy, professor at Harvard University, found an easy solution!

She was aware of the research that show show our mind effects our body, e.g. anxiety producing thoughts lead to a stomach ache. What she was curious about is whether our body could affect our mind. She devised an interesting study using power poses, wide open body positions, on the outcome of dream job presentations. She found that two minutes of power posing before a mock job presentation led to a much higher likelihood of the evaluator wanting to hire him/her versus two minutes of low power poses, closed body positions. (IMAGE) Further analysis determined that it was the person’s excitement and enthusiasm, from the power poses, that led to the evaluator’s positive response.

In a related study, Dr. Cuddy found that two minutes of power poses increased testosterone, the dominance hormone and lower cortisol, the stress marker. Power poses have a biochemical reaction in our body, a positive one. With a lower level of cortisol in our body, we feel more comfortable and express ourselves in a more genuine effective way.

There are so many daily situations that create anxiety and stress, e.g. test taking, giving a speech, job interview, meeting someone new, and being in a large crowd. I invite you to share this with your children and put this simple technique to good use. Find a private space and pretend you are in charge of the world for two minutes. Then go show up as your best self!

Paula Petry, PhD. Paula has her doctoral degree in special education from the University of Miami. Paula is the founder and honorary advisor of Parent to Parent of Miami. Paula attended Harvard’s Executive Leadership program and developed leadership programs for students and parents. She is a Light Body practitioner through the Four Winds Society and studied arts in medicine at the University of Florida, Shands Hospital.

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2017 Magazine