As you read this article, are you sitting tall with your shoulders back exuding confidence? Or, are you slouched over with your shoulders forward, your neck bent downwards? Don’t feel too badly – it happens to the best of us. Scrolling social media on our phones doesn’t require much focus or brain power. But, activities like writing an important exam or interviewing for a job require much more attention.

Posture can affect exam confidence and performance

When you’re faced with a stressful or difficult task, do you ever think about your posture? Studies show that improved posture is actually directly related to your confidence level and performance when under pressure. A study by NeuroRegulation asked kids to perform a mathematical exercise, half of them sitting up straight, the other half slouching. The exercise was then performed again, the groups switching their posture instructions. Those who were initially intimidated by the exercise found it much easier to solve when sitting up straight vs. when they were asked to slouch. 

Slouching is a natural defence mechanism

Slouching and rolling your shoulders inward is a natural defensive position, as we instinctively protect our internal organs against a perceived threat. When we slouch, our brains subconsciously focus on defence mechanisms and the perceived threat, rather than the solution to the problem, even if that threat is just a math question. In addition to that, when we slouch, we reduce our lung capacity. Therefore, we allow less oxygen to make it to our brains. It’s no wonder that when we slouch, we feel less confident!

So the next time you need a confidence boost, consider your posture. Take a deep breath. Stretch up through your core. Keep your spine straight and tall. If perfect posture is a struggle to maintain, consider BladeFlex – the easy way to train your muscles to better posture in just 30 minutes a day: https://bladeflex.com/faq/