Big Ideas with Amy Cuddy: Power Poses

The Power of Power Poses!

 

Power posing causes change at the physiological level. Testosterone goes up and cortisol, the hormone that increases under stress, goes down. They are at levels seen in effective leaders who work well in crisis. When we assume a power pose two minutes before a stressful interaction, we feel more powerful and are more risk tolerant. When we draw in—sit hunched or curled up—we feel less powerful and are less risk tolerant. Power poses help increase abstract thinking, executive functioning, lower pain threshold and result in a better job interview.

Think about our sleeping positions. When we wake up in a fetal position, we feel more anxious. Try to be in a more open position during sleep.

Don’t use power poses during high stakes interactions. Power posing puts people off. But you can be sure that your shoulders are square, feet apart.

Even imaging a power pose for two minutes makes a difference. We feel less self conscious and more powerful. Our bodies change our minds. It really is about being a fake. Fake it until you become it. Share the science.

So just pick a power pose and hold it for two minutes. “Stand up straight and realize who you are, that you tower over your circumstances.” Maya Angelou

Recommended sites for more information:

Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance

Dana R. Carney1, Amy J.C. Cuddy2, and Andy J. Yap1

Columbia University and 2Harvard University. Available: http://www.people.hbs.edu/acuddy/in%20press,%20carney,%20cuddy,%20&%20yap,%20psych%20science.pdf

See different poses:

http://www.businessinsider.com/power-pose-2013-5?op=1 from Business Insider.

And from the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-cuddy/body-language_b_2451277.html

 

Fake it ’til you become it: Amy Cuddy’s power poses, visualized

Posted by: Helen Walters
http://blog.ted.com/2013/12/13/fake-it-til-you-become-it-amy-cuddys-power-poses-visualized/

Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you areNo two ways about it: Social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s talk from TEDGlobal 2012 touched a nerve, and sparked a sensation. In the talk, “Your body language shapes who you are,” Cuddy offered a free, low-tech life hack: assume a posture for just two minutes — and change your life. The idea caught on, the talk has now been viewed more than nine million times, and the idea of “power posing” has truly entered the vernacular. For the visualization below, created in conjunction with Brazilian magazine Superinteressante, the designers illustrated some of the points Cuddy makes about posture and its impact on how we feel. Take a look … and stand up straight.