Your celebration of success, whether that's passing an exam, landing an interview, or closing a sale may include striking a victory pose to show your excitement - but did you know that adopting power poses in advance can give your confidence a boost?
Popularised by social psychologist Amy Cuddy's 2012 TED Talk, power posing involves taking up space and opening your body through outstretching arms or other actions to shift hormonal responses - specifically increasing testosterone and decreasing cortisol levels.
Standing Pose
No matter if it's for a job interview or public speech, confidence can be hard to come by. Luckily, there are various strategies available to you to help overcome nerves and come across as self-assured and confident. Even small steps such as striking power poses can help improve the way people perceive you - these postures utilize body language to convey power, assertiveness, and power over another individual.
Amy Cuddy famously demonstrated in her 2012 TED Talk how people's body positions can impact others' perceptions of them. She discovered that those hunching over and crossing their arms (known as low-power postures) appeared submissive and weak; conversely, if you stood up straighter while taking up more space (also known as high-power poses), hormones released by your body caused an appearance of increased dominance and more dominant poses were used by your body to appear dominant.
Cuddy's research and the widespread enthusiasm surrounding her lecture have inspired many to experiment with power poses themselves. If you are anxious about an upcoming event or presentation, try striking one of these poses for two minutes prior to it starting to see how it affects both your mood and perceived confidence levels.
Standing Pose involves standing with feet shoulder-width apart and pressing back your heels to form a 90-degree, angle, raising arms up in the air or clasping yours together like you're waving at someone. This posture can help alleviate anxiety as it's an open, expansive pose that helps make you feel powerful and ready to face whatever comes your way.
Half Moon Pose can also be an excellent way to stretch both the upper and lower back, as well as create more confidence by lengthening the spine and opening up your chest area. With proper form, this pose provides excellent benefits in stretching both areas simultaneously and can even lengthen and elongate your head - an additional perk.
Vanna White gesture is another well-known power pose, featuring wide and rounded movements. While this shouldn't be overused, this gesture can be useful when emphasizing points during presentations or signaling that someone has caught your interest during conversations. However, overusing this pose too frequently could appear arrogant or insecure.
Victory Pose
Body language can be an extremely effective means of expression. If you want to bolster your confidence, try practicing power poses to alter your posture and send signals that you are ready for anything that may come your way. These expansive body postures have been shown to both increase testosterone levels while simultaneously decreasing cortisol levels resulting in feelings of dominance and stress relief.
Amy Cuddy's 2012 TED talk on the benefits of power posing went viral, inspiring job candidates, athletes, and public speakers alike to hunker down in bathroom stalls for several minutes to mimic Wonder Woman-esque poses.
Though there has been some disagreement on whether power posing truly works, its science remains sound. Researchers have revealed that even just two minutes of power posing can significantly change hormone levels and influence behavior and confidence levels in just two minutes!
One of the most well-known power poses is "The Wonder Woman Pose." This strong stance involves standing with feet shoulder-width apart and your head held high, arms either up or propped on hips and arms either up or propped against them - and is often taken in photographs to convey power and confidence. Although great power poses for both women and men alike, women tend to use this one more often due to how society views them as dominant and confident women who can do anything.
This pose can help you stand out from the crowd during an interview or work presentation, helping to make you more visible to potential employers or partners. But take care not to overuse this technique - overusing can backfire by seeming intimidating or unapproachable; to use effectively it should be combined with other stress reduction techniques like positive affirmations.
Victory poses are an effortless way of acknowledging major accomplishments, like passing an exam you've been studying for or landing the dream job. They can also be used to mark everyday victories; just raise your arms toward the sky or clasp them together in a V shape to show your pride at yourself and show that you proud of what you've accomplished!
The Loomer
The Loomer Power Poses are iconic power poses designed to convey dominance and confidence. Made famous by President Barack Obama's Oval Office stance, this posture features hands outstretched wide with heads tilted upward as though soaking in applause. While the Loomer may be hard to pull off at work - if giving a presentation at work or attending risky job interviews; you could practice beforehand in an empty elevator stall or bathroom stall until your meeting.
Cuddy's TED talk and book "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are" detail research that indicates that individuals who assume open or expansive poses, such as The Loomer, possess higher testosterone and lower cortisol levels - hormones which promote confidence and ease facing challenging or stressful situations. While critics may disagree with Cuddy's claims, Crede maintains it's vital for us to question ideas that may not be valid and that further examination on this subject.
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The Obama
Named after President Obama, this power pose is an effective way to project confidence and assertiveness. By placing your feet hip-width apart and spreading your arms wide with arms akimbo while tilting your chin forward - the President Obama pose sends the message that you are in control.
The "Obama" can also be an invaluable confidence booster before entering any high-stakes situation or meeting someone new, as it will give you the courage and assurance needed for any challenge ahead. For example, using this pose before going in for an interview or negotiations can give you the edge you need in your meeting with your boss or prospective employees.
Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy's popular TED talk Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are demonstrated how striking a high-power pose for two minutes before entering a stressful situation can cause a chemical change in your brain that makes you feel more powerful and confident. Her research demonstrated this effect by showing increased testosterone levels (associated with feelings of strength and confidence) while decreased cortisol (linked with stress).
Obama's power poses offer another advantage: They make you appear more approachable and friendly, which is key for creating trustful relationships. But while this pose can make you appear friendlier, it also sends the message that you are uninterested or disinterested in talking to other people - thus it is best to resist leaning back in your chair when engaging with coworkers or friends, lest arousing suspicion with any signs that you're doing it just to look "Obama".
The Obama is just one of many power poses that can help you achieve a confident posture and communicate your personality and professionalism. Other examples are The CEO (sitting with hands behind head), Warrior (placing one foot on the ground and bending forward), Squinch (squinting eyes while giving a cocky stare), Squinching or Squinching your eyes with confidence to appear more powerful). Power posing can not only make you look confident but can also help create more confidence overall which leads to better results both personally and professionally.
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