By Barton Goldsmith/Tribune News Service
Remember how your parents and teachers always said you should sit up straight and stand with your shoulders back and head held high? They weren’t training you for the military. The truth is that good posture is good for your mental health.
With correct posture, you are relaying the message that you are a confident person. As a result, people around you have more confidence in you, which helps to build your self-esteem.
It’s actually an amazing process that is very real, and you have probably felt it before. But if this feeling is something you are not used to, you may find that simply improving your posture can give you a new outlook on life.
You don’t have to be a buff body builder or even a dedicated gym rat to make this work for you.
It isn’t about being in great physical shape (though getting into shape would actually benefit you in many other ways).
This is about changing an internal attitude, because you realise that by hunching over and hanging your head low, you are giving off projections of being unapproachable and silently telling others to stay away because you aren’t at your best right now.
Such nonverbal communication is the first thing that others take in. Look at yourself right now: If someone were to see you, what message would you be sending him or her?
There are additional health benefits to good posture, but let’s focus on the emotional ones. Owning the fact that you are a good person will help you stand with pride. You may want to consider how you would feel if someone were to give you a medal for just being you.
Standing tall will increase your ability to accomplish what is in front of you.
I really don’t think you can be proud of yourself and feel down at the same time. Most of the time if you are feeling good about yourself, it is expressed in your body language and your facial expressions.
A big smile, even if you’ve just gotten a parking ticket, can let those around you know that you can handle life’s little upsets, which will increase their confidence in you as well as your likeability.
It reminds me of a line from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, where they are walking to the presidential palace and Effie says: “Chins up, smiles on....” Even if you are fighting for your life, good posture can let everyone know that you are going to win.
And even if the odds are not in your favour, you can weather the storm and prevail. Knowing this within your own heart and head will push your bad moods away and allow your best self to step forward.
Today, no matter what else is going on, keep your posture. At the end of the day, take a moment to evaluate how you feel. I promise that you will feel better. Remember that if it worked today, it will work for you tomorrow.
♦Dr Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, California, is the author of The Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time. Follow his daily insights on Twitter at @BartonGoldsmith, or e-mail him at
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