How Standing Straight Makes You Happier

Sometimes good posture equals a good life

With all the excitement around Kamala Harris, she has one asset that doesn’t get much mention. I first noticed it in a video where she strides across a stage to a cheering crowd in Wisconsin—and her confidence and joy make you grin. But every time I see it, I also notice something else. How briskly she walks. How straight she stands.

You could probably observe this whole presidential campaign with the sound off and still learn a lot about the candidates’ attitudes. One stands tall, her head raised high, ready with a smile. The other slouches forward, head jutted out, often scowling.

I’m not talking policy positions here—just body positions. Research shows that how you hold yourself changes who you are and how you feel. I learned about this when I was researching my new book and spoke to Erik Peper, a professor at San Francisco State University. He’s an expert on biofeedback loops, and he told me that when you stand straight, your brain gets different neural signals then when you’re slouched.

“We generally think of messages going from the brain downwards, but a much higher percentage of fibers go from the body upwards,” he said. “When there’s a change in your body, your brain interprets it and applies a meaning.”

To prove how our physical positions affect our emotions, Dr. Peper had me sit hunched over with shoulders drooped and head down. He told me to think of some negative experience I’d had, and my thoughts immediately went to a miserable day long ago. Then he asked about a positive experience and for a moment, I couldn’t come up with one at all.

Next he had me sit up straight and look forward. You guessed it. This time a positive and happy image popped right into my mind and the negative one was harder to conjure. You can try this yourself, and I bet you’ll have the same results. He’s published studies describing this similar effect in large groups of college students.

Why does this happen? The body-brain loop is powerful. “We all function on classical conditioning,” Dr. Peper explained that when we’re feeling negative “our bodies collapse inward. Put your body into that position later and you evoke those same feelings. When you’re upright, you still have access to the negative memories, but you feel more distant from them. You’re more of an observer.”

Our bodies tell our minds how to experience the world. Peper has just published a new study showing that college students wearing a device that reminded them to sit upright reported an increase in energy and a decrease in stress. Getting feedback to stop slouching helped increase attention, concentration, and general well-being.  

Most of us don’t have a biofeedback devise handy, but you can remind yourself to stop now and then and think about your body position. Peper reports that the students were surprised by how much slouching was connected to their emotions and mental well-being.

If something as simple as standing straight can make you feel happier, it’s worth giving it a try. Stand tall today. An increase in energy and positive feelings may be just what you need to get through this upcoming campaign season.

Reasons To Be Happy

I’ve written a lot of books and nothing (except hitting the bestseller list) quite beats the thrill of holding the first copy in your hands. Before that, you get the Advanced Reader’s Copies—a bound version of the manuscript which goes out to reviewers—and that’s the box I received in the photo here. I’m so excited to share What Your Body Knows About Happiness with you when it’s published in January 2025! You can even pre-order it now—and I’d be thrilled if you do.

Thanks for being part of this newsletter. Please share it with friends! It remains completely free and I’ll continue sharing tips and surprising insights on how to be happier.

love, Janice