Many people believe that they are in jobs which they are not really suited for. They don’t feel happy in those jobs but neither do they feel that they have the power to change the way things are. Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist, has an interesting idea which she says will change that feeling of powerlessness into a feeling of power. She calls it power posing.
We Are All Attuned to Body Language
In order to understand what power posing is, you need to grasp the whole concept of body language. This is something we are all attuned to unconsciously but we are not usually conscious of it. Sometimes, you go on a date or you go for an interview. And when you’re asked how it went, you say it was ok but something just felt wrong. You couldn’t put your finger on it. In such cases, the answer might lie in body language. You may have picked up on the body language cues that your date or your interviewer was sending you.
Closed and Open Body Language
In general, there are two types of body language, a “closed” type of body language and an “open” type of body language. In the closed type, the person tends to keep their limbs close to their body. They might even cross their arms or legs. They might hunch over. This means that they’re closing themselves off to you.
On the other hand, there is an open or expansive type of body language in which the person is relaxed, standing straight, maybe gesturing with their arms and legs open wide. The whole idea is that the person is opening themselves up to you and not closing you off. This is something you can read in their body language.
Boost Confidence with Power Posing
Of course, you can change your body language so that you come across as more open, enthusiastic and likable in interviews and at work in general. But according to Amy Cuddy, you can actually do a lot more. There are certain poses that she calls “power” poses, such as the Wonder Woman stance with feet shoulder-width apart and both hands on hips or putting your hands up above your head in a V as if you are winning a race.
Cuddy says that if you do these power poses even just for two minutes a day, it can make a huge difference to your confidence levels. So the next time you’re feeling a bit low or are going for an important interview, just go to the bathroom and stand like Wonder Woman for a couple of minutes to emerge feeling confident and enthusiastic. Now you’re ready to ace that interview.
