Which came first … your thought or your posture?

 

January isn’t my favourite month of the year! It is a month full of good intentions, dark nights and empty pockets after the buzz of December. And looking at the body language of some of the people powering to the office in the morning I’m not the only person who is feeling a bit “glum”. Or at least I think everyone else is sad because they are looking down. Have you noticed how when walking and feeling glum you look down at the floor? Or is it have you noticed when you look down at the floor you feel more miserable?

One of the exercises we use in our workshops to show how our thoughts affect our body language is to get everyone in the room to walk around and then imagine they are lost, had a pay rise or are sad about something. Every time when imagining they are lost everyone stops and looks around and when sad they slow down and look at the floor.

Here is an interesting experiment for you to do this month. If you notice your head dropping or you are looking at the floor as you walk, then lift you head up and see if you mood lifts too. I find that when I look up I catch people’s eyes, I feel more “connected” with others and my environment and I start to feel a little more optimistic about life in general.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts below.