Did you know that by moving your body in certain ways you can change your mood from downbeat to upbeat?
Hug yourself
People who are kind to themselves are much less likely to be depressed and more likely to be happy, says Dr Kristin Neff, author of Self Compassion. When you are upset, give yourself a hug. Physical contact triggers the release of oxytocin. “Your body responds to the physical gesture of warmth and care,” she says. If other people are around, fold your arms in a non-obvious way.
Be a superman
Harvard University researchers found adopting a ‘high power’ pose for just two minutes can increase levels of testosterone (in both sexes) by 20 per cent and decrease levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) by 25 per cent. High levels of testosterone lead to increased confidence and low levels of cortisol mean less anxiety. Stand with your hands on your hips, legs astride with your chest forward for two minutes at the start of the day, or when you need a boost.
Bust a five-minute dance move
Next time you need a mood boost, try shaking up a bit. Researchers at York and Sheffield Universities played music to volunteers for five minutes, asking people to either sit and listen to the music, to cycle on an exercise bike or to dance. The group who boogied down showed improvements in mood and were better able to solve problems in tests.
Shoulders back
According to posture experts and cognitive scientists, not only does our mind influence how we hold our body, but how we hold our bodies also influences our mind and moods. Try pulling your shoulders back to remind yourself what a ‘good’ and ‘happy’ posture feels like.
Sit up straight
Another study from Ohio State University showed that sitting with a straight back can make you feel more upbeat. Researchers asked people to either sit up straight or slouch at a desk and write down three positive and three negative personal qualities relating to how well qualified they were for a job. The people who slouched were less likely to believe positive things about themselves than the others who were posture perfect.
Walk happy
Research shows you could banish a gloomy mood by imitating a happy walk. A study in the Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry asked people to change their walking styles on a treadmill to try to move a bar in one direction or another on a screen. Walking in a ‘happy’ way made the bar move one way and walking ‘depressed’ moved it the other.
Results showed happy walkers remembered more positive words they were given than those who walked in a downbeat way (and who remembered more negative words).
Belly laugh
“Using your breath as you laugh is an aerobic exercise, increasing oxygen in the blood and releasing endorphins,” says laughter yoga teacher Andrea Detchon. Your body can’t tell the difference between real and fake laughter. Find your favourite laughter sound and real laughter usually follows.
Ref : ET Panache
