Having bad posture from doing too much sitting by the computer or hunched over a desk can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. According to Health.com, a number of studies suggested that bad posture can make the symptoms of depression even worse. By improving your posture, you will be able to improve your mental health much more.
How Will You Feel When You Improve Your Posture?
Improving your posture will lead to you feeling happier and more energized. Being in a slumped-forward position for long periods of time can create unnecessary stress and strain your spine. Feeling tired and achy can lead you to be tired and angrier. One study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry showed that patients with mild to severe depression felt more alert as they were keeping their shoulders upright while sitting down. They also became less anxiety after as well.
How Will Good Posture Make You More Confident?
If you carry yourself a certain way with your shoulders back, abdomen in, and spine aligned, you will have a confident presence. You will also feel better about yourself. A study in Health Psychology found that people who are stressed can no longer feel negative and boost their self-esteem all by sitting upright.
How Can Good Posture Leave You Less Guarded?
Being slumped will cause you to guard yourself. It can mean that you are not open to new relationships, ideas, or are trying to hide something. We tend to communicate non-verbally sometimes where a person’s stance can say a lot about them. If you stand up and keep your shoulders back, it will show that you are ready to face the world.
What Can You Do To Perfect Your Posture?
If you have a desk job, it is best that you get up every 45 minutes to an hour to walk around the office, reposition your spine, and improve circulation. You can do scapula squeezes where you pull your arms back and pinch your shoulder blades whenever you feel like repositioning yourself. Five to ten press-ups on your elbows every hour or two can promote a gentle stretch in your lower spine. Planks, back extensions, or overhead squats against a wall can improve mobility in your hips and stability in your shoulders. Improving your posture can make a big difference in your mental health and a strong presence to others.
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