In an age where we spend countless hours on social media, we are undoubtedly influenced in many ways by these channels. This could either have a positive or a negative effect on us, but certainly over the past few years, we have seen people becoming more self conscious because of this. Adding fuel to the flames of what can already be considered psychological problems arising from this, many people are also developing physiological problems from using the devices on which they consume such media.
Unfortunately, nowadays confidence can often be linked to how many “likes” your social media post receives, or how many followers you have managed to accrue. However, another issue affecting confidence is poor posture. Posture is not usually an immediate focus when it comes to health issues, often because it deteriorates gradually and is hidden under clothing. See the following ways that posture can affect your confidence and how you can improve it.
1) You look disinterested/disheartened
When you have poor posture, your body tends to slump or slouch. Your head could even hang, giving people the impression that you might be sad or disheartened. All of these can combine to take a toll on your confidence, which places even more importance in the correction of posture. While the immediate effects of bad posture may be physical, such as muscle and joint pains, these can develop into lower self-esteem issues that could ultimately impact their mental health.
2) You can’t look great if you aren’t feeling great
Aside from looking uncomfortable, poor posture can put pressure on your internal organs, in turn preventing them from working effectively. For example, restricted circulation can be a result of poor posture and can lead to varicose veins, as well as other circulation issues.
Breathing can also be restricted by poor posture when back muscles are strained. Lungs that have been impaired lead to insufficient levels of oxygen reaching organs such as the heart; muscles and brain. This will no doubt have you feeling sluggish, or worse, cause more serious health problems. Correcting posture is therefore an effective way of building your confidence.
3) Good posture symbolises power
Poses where a person is standing straight and with their feet shoulder width apart and chest out, show a person is confident. Talking to others in such a manner, also while making eye contact, can give that person and air of control about them; a very important characteristic especially for those who lead and make important decisions often.
4) Finally…good posture is scientifically proven to improve confidence
Research has shown that not only does sitting up straight improve your posture, but when writing, you are more likely to believe what you have written. It has also been found that mathematical ability is improved when those being studied were sitting upright as opposed to being slouched.