Anxiety can have a noticeable impact on body posture. This article explores the relationship between anxiety and body posture, and provides tips for improving posture to reduce anxiety symptoms.
The Relationship Between Anxiety and Body Posture
According to this study (1), using power postures or neutral postures decreased anxiety symptoms in the short term. The postures included elements of openness and expansiveness (you can check the actual postures used in the original article).
In conclusion, adopting open, mindful postures with regular movement are beneficial for reducing anxiety in the short term.
How to Improve Your Posture
What does good posture even means? According to Harvard Medical School, good posture entails: “
- chin parallel to the floor
- shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down to help achieve this)
- neutral spine (no flexing or arching to overemphasize the curve in your lower back)
- arms at your sides with elbows straight and even
- abdominal muscles braced
- hips even
- knees even and pointing straight ahead
- body weight distributed evenly on both feet.
When sitting down, keep your chin parallel to the floor; your shoulders, hips, and knees at even heights; and your knees and feet pointing straight ahead. ” (2).
Some tips to improve your posture include:
- Pay increasing attention to your posture. You can try to use daily reminders: put reminders in your phone, use sticky notes around the house.
- Get the right setup. If you spend a lot of time sitting down, get a good setup. You will need a good chair, good feet support.
- Do exercises to improve your posture.
- Check out posture correctors. Posture correctors are devices designed to help improve and maintain proper body posture.
If you are experiencing bad back pain or if you are concerned with your posture, please contact a qualified doctor for advice.
Further Resources & Reading
- Check out other Anxiety Inducing Habits
- Ultimate Guide to Drink More Water
- The relationship between Caffeine and Anxiety
Sources
(1) Weineck, F., Schultchen, D., Hauke, G., Messner, M., & Pollatos, O. (2020). Using bodily postures to reduce anxiety and improve interoception: A comparison between powerful and neutral poses. PLoS One, 15(12), e0242578. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242578
(2) Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, January 24). Why good posture matters. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-good-posture-matters
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