It may not be a question you often ask yourself, but do you ever wonder why confidence is important? We might go through our day-to-day life without needing to make major decisions that require much consideration, but every so often we will be in such a position where we have to. Such situations require confidence, or belief in yourself. The link between a person’s posture and their level of confidence can be directly correlated and work both ways in many cases. If someone is low on confidence, they may slouch, and likewise someone who slouches, may be low on confidence because of that.
It is important to understand that confidence and posture can influence each other, and these are discussed below.
Those with good posture appear more confident to others
Leaders and those in positions of power would likely not have reached their positions if they didn’t inspire and exude confidence. If you see many of the world leaders and top business persons for example, you may notice that many of them have great posture – standing up straight, with their shoulders back and chest puffed outward. You would not get in such a position of power without being confident and being able to influence those around you.
Sitting upright with correct posture during meetings will give the impression you are attentive and present. You would be more likely to command respect in doing so, as well as playing a part in inspiring confidence in others.
Good posture can make you feel more confident
Having good posture would be considered as being part of a healthy body. When you feel good about yourself physically, that will inevitably channel through into your mental wellbeing. Confidence, or belief in yourself, would benefit you in knowing your worth and realising that you are in a good place physically and mentally.
Often, those who want to improve their posture invest in doing so through exercise or clothing and equipment (for example, a posture corrector shirt or support pillow), as they understand the benefits of doing so.
It is backed by science
In a study by Ohio State University, the correlation between sitting upright on a chair and believing what they had written when applying for a job found that those sitting correctly were more likely to believe what was written. In this case, when considering if they were qualified for a job, those sitting up believed that they were more qualified, compared to those who were slouching when reading it. This inspired confidence in the reader themselves, rather than those around them as discussed earlier.
It is undeniable that having good posture not only benefits you physically and mentally, but it rubs off on those around you. Bear this in mind the next time you catch yourself slouching, or needing to find ways to inspire those around you.