Surprising Ways Your Posture Impacts Your Success

Understanding 'what good posture is' can be the key to your overall progress.

If you want to master the art of good posture and improve your chances of success, here are a few things you need to do.

• Use a pillow to support your lower back while seated.
• Pull the head back into alignment with the neck and spine.
• Roll your shoulders back and down along the spine.
• Engage your core muscles to keep your spine straight.
• Take frequent breaks to stretch your spine.

Now that you know what good posture consists of, let’s see how it can impact your success.

Did you know that back pain is the primary reason why people miss work?

Poor posture at your desk can result in intense back pain that requires medical attention.

Every year, employers invest close to $7 billion in poor posture-related back pain and disability for their employees.

Most of the employees who have these claims take excessive amounts of time off work to visit their primary care doctor or a chiropractor.

The most common pain areas for individuals to seek treatment for include:

• Neck (53%)
• Shoulders (38%)
• Low back (63%)
• Wrists (33%)

If you have proper posture, you can avoid some of the pain associated with slumping at your desk.

This allows you to spend more time in the office performing your job and improving your skills. Increasing your focus and attention in the workplace can yield serious benefits.

When it is time for your annual review, you may find that simply spending more time at work than your colleagues can really pay off for you.

You will have invested more into the company over the course of the year simply because you didn’t require medical care for your rounded spine.

Many people struggle with confidence in the workplace. Poor posture is a natural progression of your low self-esteem.

When you feel poorly about yourself, it is common to see the shoulders round and the spine curve. New studies are showing that improving your posture may actually increase your self-esteem and boost your confidence.

Ohio State University conducted a study that found some surprising connections between confidence and posture. Participants were split into two groups with one being asked to practice proper posture and the other being allowed to slouch over their desks. 

The two groups were asked to create a list of reasons why they were qualified to perform a specific job.

Sitting up straight can improve your confidence in your performance at work. You may find that you are more willing to tackle challenging tasks and take on more responsibility because of your improved self-esteem.

Your boss is likely to take notice of the difference in your performance when you start to act on these new impulses!

In the animal kingdom, body language is everything. Animals will use their bodies to display signs of aggression, appeasement, and even power. The same philosophy holds true for humans who want to appear more powerful.

Simply standing up straight and rolling your shoulders back can depict a show of power to your coworkers, friends, and family members.

One study decided to look at how power postures can impact your overall decision-making. They found that participants who assumed this specific type of posture had greater feelings of power, felt more in control of a situation, and were far more likely to take risky bets.

However, the science behind these postures went far deeper than a boost in confidence.

Scientists also used saliva samples to see how posture affected the participants on a cellular level. When the samples were tested, researchers could clearly see a pattern among the hormone levels of participants who had better posture.

They had lower levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol and higher levels of testosterone.

The bottom line is that maintaining good posture can help you to feel more powerful in a given situation, reduce your stress levels, and promote more risk-taking behaviors.

These can be great attributes to bring to the workplace in order to further your success.

Do you struggle to think on the bright side about your projects at work? You may find it difficult to imagine successful outcomes for an important presentation, an upcoming business meeting, or a task that your boss assigned you.

The posture you maintain could make all the difference in affecting the type of thoughts that you have.

Researchers were able to conclude that you are more likely to maintain positive thinking when you sit up nice and straight.

The results of this study could have a major impact on your work performance.

Consider how productive you might be if you were able to maintain a positive outlook throughout the day.

You would have more confidence and optimism that things would turn out in your favor.

The studies all show that maintaining good posture could be the key to your continued success in the workplace.

Keep some of these pointers in mind next time you have to give a presentation or talk with your manager.

Not only will your spine health improve, but your posture could contribute to your next raise, promotion, or acknowledgment from your boss.

Dr. Brent Wells is an experienced Wasilla chiropractor at Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab.

He attended the Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon before relocating to open his own clinic. They use multiple treatment strategies to give their patients the best possible care for back pain.