How to (Physically) Change Your Behaviour

This one is for those of you who love a ‘fast-fix’.

Trampolining off from last week’s post that our feelings might not matter as much as we think, let’s explore the idea that (maybe) we can change how we feel inside by making a few adjustments on the outside….something the smart people call ‘embodied cognition’. 

I know – it all sounds a bit ‘fake-it-till-you-make-it’ but science is on our side with this one (this guy has even written a book about it). So, while we might already know that smiling can make you feel happy and frowning can make you feel angry, there are other physical cues you can use to ‘trick’ your brain into feeling/behaving differently.

Increase Your Willpower:  Motivated people tense their muscles before leaping into action – but can you boost your willpower by simply tensing your muscles? This study had volunteers visit a local cafe and asked them to try and avoid temptation (namely the sugar-laden snacks in-store). The simple action of either contracting their biceps or making their hand into a fist was enough to make more people resist and choose a healthier option. So, next time you’re tempted to reach for a fag, another slice of pizza or your 4th tequila, it might be worth a squeeze.

Stuff Your Face Less: Whilst we all know dieting is stupid, if isolation has taught us one thing it is that there is only so much banana bread a girl can eat before she needs to put on the brakes. To stop the cycle of habitual eating this study suggests using your non-dominant hand when snacking. The fact that it feels weird makes you more aware of your actions and less likely to keep unconsciously shovelling the popcorn, pretzels or chips towards you.

Lessen The Guilt Trip: The idea that we can wash away our sins has long been part of religious rituals and studies of the so-called ‘Macbeth effect‘ suggest a strong psychological association between cleanliness and moral purity. The very act of washing your hands or taking a shower has been ‘proven’ to alleviate guilt – useful to know when THE FEAR comes calling.

Increase Your Confidence: In her hugely popular TED talk, Amy Cuddy suggested that adopting power poses (shoulders back, chest out, hands-on-hips) was a fast way to boost confidence, increase testosterone (making you feel more confident) and decrease cortisol levels (making you feel less anxious). Next time you have a scary meeting or interview give it a whirl – although I suggest this is not done in public for fear of looking like a bit of a tool. That said, if you are a fan of Jordan Peterson (not an insecure bone in that man’s body) you would know Rule 1 (of his 12) is ‘Stand up straight with your shoulders back’. Because the very act of opening your chest up to the world shows you are open and ready for whatever it decides to fling your way (even when you’re not entirely convinced you are).

This GET HAPPIER post is brought to you by someone whose confidence can be faked a lot faster with vodka.