Posture Reset
Notice your physical position. If you are slumped or tense, shift your body into an upright, open, and relaxed posture.
Notice your physical position. If you are slumped or tense, shift your body into an upright, open, and relaxed posture.
Research in embodied cognition suggests that body position sends signals to the brain, potentially influencing mood and alertness.
Combine the physical shift with one slow, deep breath to further support the nervous system.
Overview
The Posture Reset is a strategy based on the concept of Embodied Cognition, which suggests that the relationship between the mind and body is bidirectional. While thoughts can influence physical tension, physical posture can also influence thoughts and feelings. When a person experiences stress, the body often instinctively protects vital organs by slumping, crossing arms, or curling inward. This creates a feedback loop that confirms to the brain that a threat is present. By intentionally adopting an open and upright posture, a person can interrupt this loop, sending a 'bottom-up' signal of safety and capability to the brain.
Understanding the Guard Dog and Wise Owl
The Guard Dog
The Amygdala lives in the basement. Always on alert. Reacts fast to keep you safe, but sometimes barks at things that aren't really threats.
The Wise Owl
The Prefrontal Cortex lives upstairs. Thinks things through, makes plans, and helps you make good decisions—but needs a moment to wake up.
Think of your brain like a house with two floors. The Downstairs Brain (the Amygdala or 'Guard Dog') is responsible for keeping you safe. It constantly scans for danger, including signals from your own body. When you slump, look down, or tense your shoulders, the Guard Dog interprets this as a sign of defeat or hiding, and it may continue to bark (producing stress hormones). The Upstairs Brain (the Prefrontal Cortex or 'Wise Owl') works best when the body is calm. By straightening your spine and opening your chest, you send a physical message to the Guard Dog that says, 'I am standing tall; I am safe.' This physical cue can help quiet the Guard Dog, allowing the Wise Owl to return to problem-solving and logical thinking.
How to Use This Skill
This technique acts like a 'hardware reboot' for the nervous system, using the body to communicate directly with the emotional brain.
1. Notice (The Body Scan)
While studying, you might notice your shoulders are up by your ears and your spine is curved over your laptop.
Why this helps: This practice relies on **Interoception**, which is the ability to sense the internal state of the body. Stress often causes unconscious muscle guarding.
2. Shift (The Reset)
You sit back in the chair, place both feet flat on the floor, and roll your shoulders back and down.
Why this helps: This utilizes **Proprioceptive Feedback**. Changing the angle of the joints and spine changes the chemical signals sent to the brain.
3. Anchor (The Breath)
In this new upright position, you take one slow breath, imagining the air filling your open chest.
Why this helps: This step engages the **Vagus Nerve**, which connects the brain and body and helps regulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
"**Trigger:** You are about to enter a difficult social situation or a presentation. **The Body's Reaction:** You instinctively cross your arms, look at the floor, and hunch your shoulders. This signals to your brain that you are protecting yourself from a threat. **The Reset:** * **Notice:** You realize you are making yourself small. * **Shift:** You uncross your arms, lift your chin, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. * **Result:** The Guard Dog receives a signal of stability rather than fear. You may feel a slight increase in confidence or clarity as you walk into the room."
Try to imagine yourself in this situation as you practice the skill.
You can build this habit by checking your posture during routine activities throughout the day. **The Doorframe Check:** Every time you walk through a door, check if your head is up and shoulders are back. **The Screen Reset:** Place a small sticker on your laptop or phone. When you see it, check if you are hunching over the screen.
Try this before a stressful event, not just during it. Spending two minutes in an open posture before a test or game helps prime the brain for focus.
The Posture Reset is recommended because it offers a quick, accessible way to interrupt the stress response using the body. This works because the brain relies on physical feedback to determine if the environment is safe or dangerous.
Key Research Points
- Interrupts the Feedback Loop: It stops the cycle where feeling stressed leads to slouching, which then leads to feeling more stressed.
- Supports Executive Function: An upright posture facilitates better breathing and oxygen flow, which supports the Wise Owl (Prefrontal Cortex).
Research-based evidence supporting this skill
This approach draws on research in social psychology and somatic psychology, exploring how non-verbal behaviour affects hormones and self-perception.
Books & Manuals
- Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. Little, Brown Spark.
- Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
- Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.
Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Carney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J., & Yap, A. J. (2010). Power posing: Brief nonverbal displays affect neuroendocrine levels and risk tolerance. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1363–1368.
- Nair, S., et al. (2015). Do slumped and upright postures affect stress responses? A randomized trial. Health Psychology, 34(6), 632–641.
Websites & Online Resources
- Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. (n.d.). Body Language.
- American Psychological Association. (2022). Embodied Cognition.