Tedx- Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are

With today's upcoming class about communication, I decided to look more into what non-verbal communication and body language is. I came across a Ted Talk from Amy Cuddy discussing non-verbal communication and its impact on not only others, but ourselves.

She discusses the "superwoman pose" which my friend had told me about not too long ago, but I had little knowledge to the extent it could actually work. Cuddy provides scientific proof of the effect that body language has on risks taken and hormonal changes in the brain. When we show strength in our body it makes us more likely to believe we are strong and can overcome the stressful situation in front of us. Many of us are prone to being hunched over desks, computers, and our phones, however, Cuddy's findings show this could have detrimental effects on how our lives pan out.

Later in the video, she discusses a car accident she experienced and the internal, mental pain that caused on her. As she was going to Princeton for her PhD. and eventually to be a professor at Harvard, she felt out of place, because she was told she was not as intelligent as she was prior to the accident. She kept pushing herself, and when a student told her they didn't belong at Harvard, she realized the importance of "faking it til you make it."

The major take-away from this video is the importance in reminding yourself you are strong and can be anything you want, you just have to "fake it" until you feel that you belong. So, before your next class presentation or job interview, take a couple minutes before to look in the mirror in a power pose to put yourself in the mindset that you're in the power position.