Stand Up! Simple Tips for Improving Confidendce

     I never thought about it much, but at the Naval Academy, if you were being inspected (or possibly, being in trouble) you stood at attention, just like my classmates on the left. If someone was talking or giving you information to remember, you were put at parade rest. To my teenager eyes, parade rest looked a lot like Wonder Woman and felt really silly. Really, stand with your feet spread, elbows wide, hands crossed at the small of your back. How unnatural is that?
     Come to find out, the military knew what it was doing.  Amy Cuddy and her fellow researchers discovered that standing in a powerful position, like Wonder Woman, actually changes your brain chemistry to make you more confident (original publication here). As little as two minutes can boost your testosterone, making you feel more confident and in charge. It also reduces your cortisol. This improves your ability to deal with stressors and decreases anxiety.
     When I went through my photos to create the video, it was actually hard to discard some. I had so many images of both high and low power poses. It is amazing what you can see once someone opens your eyes.
     Her video changed my life in other profound ways. I am so aware of how I sit and stand now. Sometimes it is in that scolding way, you know, the inner voice that nags "stand up straight, shoulders back." More often, it is "look at how you are standing or sitting. That must mean you are uncomfortable here. Need to change that."
      I'll give you an example. I have been taking voice lessons for about three years. I was so incredibly shy about singing in public that joining the choir had ruined my appreciation of the liturgy. Something needed to be done. About six months ago I was having a lesson in the practice spaces of a local music academy.  This meant that everyone could overhear all my mistakes on this difficult peice. I felt wildly out of place. After singing the song for the final time, my teacher said "That is the best I have ever heard you sing." I immediately crossed my legs, crossed my arms and tucked my head down. Basically I got into the lowest power pose I could do without quivering in the corner. It made me realize how far I still have to go.
     Think of body language as a great diagnostic and power posing as the miracle cure. Those admirals knew what they were doing. Who knew?