Strike a Superhero Pose for Instant Confidence

CONFIDENCE | BODY LANGUAGE | MINDSET

Post Like a Superhero. Feel Confident Like a Superhero.

Have you ever wished you could gain a boost of confidence whenever you needed it, like right before making a speech or giving a presentation at work?

Well, there are some scientific studies that show that performing 'power poses’ might just help with that.

By power posing, or assuming open, tall, and upright postures, you can influence your mind to temporarily feel more powerful, confident, and positive.¹

Typically, you’ll need to assume power pose(s) for a few minutes before you actually need the boost in confidence. Here are some common ones you can try:

Power posing ties into the larger notion that not only does the brain affect our bodies (e.g. stress weakening your immune system), but the body can also affect our minds.

Another surprising example of this is how you can make yourself happier just by forcing a smile.²

As a full disclosure, I first heard about power posing over a decade ago from a famous Ted Talk by social psychologist Amy Cuddy. At that time, in 2012, she stated her research showed power posing could positively affect certain hormone levels.³

I found out more recently that these claims have since been challenged since later studies could not replicate Cuddy’s findings.

However, there’s new evidence that once again backs up the claim that power posing does have positive benefits, as mentioned earlier. It just hasn’t been shown to change any biomarkers in your body as initially claimed.

As an aside, this experience taught me that scientific findings can evolve over time; What you learn now can be disproven later on with new data and evidence.

My advice on this is to keep an open mind, reconfirm previously gained knowledge (especially if it’s been a while), and to also test things for yourself!

In conclusion, the next time you require a boost of confidence, try busting out a superhero pose - it might really make you feel like a true superhero, if only for a little while!

HEALTH | WELLNESS

Neti Pots: An Ancient Solution to Modern Allergies and Sinus Issues

Unless you have a superhuman immune system, you probably experience the occasional stuffy nose or sinus issues from allergies, infections, or colds.

I’ve personally grown up with allergies and sinus issues for most of my life and I can’t recommend a better tool than the Neti pot, or sinus rinse, for clearing your sinuses.

How does it work? You use the neti pot to gently push ‘salt water' up into one nostril while it flows out the other.

The traditional neti pot, with its distinct shape as seen below, has been used for centuries in India to clear nasal passages, but there are many modern ‘sinus rinse’ tools that essentially function the same way.

Here are some benefits of using a neti pot or sinus rinse:

• Clears your nasal passages: The saline (salt) solution helps to flush out allergens like pollen, dust, and other irritants.

• Relieves congestion: The solution can also thin mucus, allowing for easier breathing.

• It’s natural and non-invasive: It’s a tremendous chemical-free alternative to over-the-counter nasal sprays and medications.

As for which sinus rinse to use, here are a few that I’ve tried and can personally recommend:

• Neilmed is one of the most popular brands patented by an actual doctor. With these, you control the flow of the water by continuously squeezing the bottle.

• Maoever or any other similar products work great - the main difference is these bottles use the power of gravity to form a constant flow of water into your nose, eliminating the need to apply constant pressure to the bottle as with squeeze bottles.

And, if you do choose to try out a sinus rinse the next time you have sinus issues, keep these important points in mind:

• Use sterilized water: Always use distilled or boiled (then cooled) water.

• Practice cleanliness: Make sure your hands are clean when using and that you clean the sinus rinse bottles after each use. Following this and the previous point will help you prevent infections!

• Obligatory Disclaimer: While helpful, sinus rinses may not replace the need for medications in severe cases. Also, if you have a pre-existing medical condition or concerns, you should still consult a healthcare professional before using a sinus rinse.

That’s our lowdown on Neti pots or its more modern iteration: the sinus rinse.

It may take some getting used to at first but believe me, it’ll work wonders for your sinus issues if you decide to give it a try!

Thank you for joining us for today’s Idle Impact. Whether you're striking a power pose or exploring traditional remedies, remember that knowledge is power.

Have you tried power-posing or using a Neti pot? Share your experiences with us at [email protected]. Also, help us share Idle Impact with a few people you care about for some great rewards!

Until next time, stay empowered and take care!

- Kevin and the Idle Impact Team

Dive Deeper with recommended reads:

• Neti Pots / Sinus Rinses

  • Here’s a quick explanatory video on how to use a (Neilmed) sinus rinse

  • More information on Neti pots

• Power Poses

  • A relatively new article that details the history of power posing research which I briefly touched upon above

Footnotes

1. Dominance and prestige: Meta-analytic review of experimentally induced body position effects on behavioral, self-report, and physiological dependent variables.

2. Your face and moves seem happier when I smile: Facial action influences the perception of emotional faces and biological motion stimuli.

3. Amy Cuddy originally claimed that power posing could reduce cortisol (stress hormone) and increase testosterone from their research Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance. This was later challenged since the results could not be replicated. However, there are newer studies as seen above that demonstrate some effectiveness on confidence and other positive traits.