Body over mind

The concept of using positive thinking to feel better physically has been discussed for some time. But what about consciously managing your body language to help you think positively?

Right now, as you’re reading this – just take a nice slow breath and notice how you are sitting or standing and how that reflects how you are feeling. How is your posture in this moment? Are you tall or small? Are you smiling or frowning? Is your body closed or opened? These are questions that we so rarely consider during our busy days and yet body position, posture and facial expressions all have a tangible impact on how we feel.

It helps to remember that what you do with your body influences the strength of your immune system, how clearly you are able to think and how brave and positive you feel, and can cause certain hormones to rise or fall. Fortunately, research has shown us that we have the power to help ourselves by making small physical changes that lead to positive outcomes. For instance, in tests, a specific change of posture for two minutes has resulted in demonstrably lower cortisol levels and higher testosterone – resulting in less anxiety and a greater feeling of strength.

How can these insights feed into your wellbeing agenda?

And how can you use coaching to support that process? Justine Ballard will share her expertise in this area at the Maximum Coaching open day, ‘Coaching and the Wellbeing Agenda’ on 24 May in London.