Unsure About Your Posture? Take a Stand
Are you happy with what you see in the mirror? Are your shoulders a little rounded, does your backside sticks out, do your knees turn in rather than out, or do you stoop a bit? Bad posture can affect how people you are meeting for the first time, or even colleagues who know you well, react to you.
You might straighten up every once in a while, but in five minutes you've forgotten all about it and you're back in the same old posture again.
As I've mentioned before 55% of your first impression is down to your appearance, clothing, expression, eye contact, hand-shake -- overall body language, and one of the main parts of that is posture. How's yours? If you don't like it, there are things you can do about it.
The way an individual stands broadcasts how they are investing their energy. Stand up and you stand out, but your posture can make you invisible if it's not good.
By standing and moving properly you can completely change the way you look and increase the level of self-esteem that you are presenting in any scenario. Your clothes hang better on your body and your charisma improves.
Bodies are born beautiful, but a lifetime of standing badly and slouching in front of computer screens has a negative impact of many of us. Poor posture can cause permanent structural changes in the spine, a compromised ribcage and damaged joints.
There are some great organisations out there to help you improve your posture â€" one of them being through the Alexander Technique which is a well documented way to release harmful tension from your body, and Yoga and Pilates classes are great for stretching tight muscles and re-aligning the body alongside, of course, being a very effective way to gently exercise for those who hate the gym but still want to see results. You may not have the best body in the world but if it's fit and toned you will project a great image.
It may sound shallow, but appearance matters now even more than before -- the impressions you make on others are one of the most significant areas you have to differentiate yourself in a crowded job market and where there's a risk of redundancy.
People don't always make their buying decisions logically, they are inclined to let their emotions rule their decisions, so if they aren't seeing value in your appearance they may not see value in what you are offering.
Just a few minor changes to the way you stand can impact amazingly on your personal brand and the impression you are making, for both men and women.
Learning to stand (and sit) well will have other benefits. You'll handle stress more calmly and, alongside improved concentration, you'll develop better stamina. Improving your posture now will pay dividends in keeping your mobility in old age too.
You'll have more control than you thought possible over how you look and feel, and anyway, if your gaze is focused on the ground, you won't be aware of the opportunities around you.