How Posture Affects Your Emotions
Research has shown that a person’s posture impacts their mood. Upright, open, and expansive posture leads to increased brain activity, resulting in more focus, energy, and positive thoughts, whereas slouched posture leads to fatigue, negativity, and an inability to focus [1][2][6].
This article will dive into the science behind posture’s impact on mental health and explore techniques to improve posture over time.
The Science Behind Posture and Emotions
Upright, expansive, and open body postures are associated with increased high-frequency brain activity, known as beta and gamma waves. Increased activity of beta and gamma waves results in more alertness, active concentration, complex cognitive processing, and problem-solving. This suggests that individuals who sit or stand upright with their shoulders back have more brain power and are better equipped to adapt their thoughts and behaviors to meet the needs of specific situations.
The impact of posture supports the embodied cognition theory, which states that a body’s muscular and automatic functions are influenced by how a person experiences and perceives emotions. Embodiment and cognition interact and impact one another, so a person’s physical state shapes their emotions, and a person’s emotions can shape their physical state. This theory demonstrates why a person’s posture has such a significant impact on their overall mood and perception of a situation [1][2][6].
Effects of Poor Posture on Mental Health
A slumped or stooped posture is when the shoulders are forward and low, causing the chest and the remainder of the upper body to follow suit. Slumped posture is attributed to various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. This posture also reduces high-frequency brain activity, slowing down beta and gamma waves. Lowered high-frequency functioning leads to higher fatigue levels, slower movements, and increased negativity. These effects can both contribute to and exacerbate underlying mental health conditions.
When individuals are depressed or anxious, they tend toward closed-off body language, such as hunched backs, crossed arms, hands on the one’s hips, and downturned chins. A person’s mood responds to their physical state. Closed-off body language results in physical aches and pains, such as slowed digestion, backaches, and headaches. It also results in mental strain, such as an inability to focus, slowed problem-solving, and higher stress levels.
These negative impacts of slouched posture correlate with symptoms seen in various mental health conditions. For example, inability to focus can be a clinical feature of anxiety, and chronic fatigue can be a symptom of depression [1][2][4].
The Benefits of Good Posture on Mental Health
Upright, open, and expansive posture leads to increased cognitive functioning. Higher cognitive functioning has many benefits on a person’s mental health, which include:
- Positive thinking: Studies have found that slumped body posture can inhibit access to positive memories, making it harder to recall happy events or past recollections. Conversely, open and expansive postures elevate testosterone, reduce cortisol, and increase perceptions of power and risk tolerance compared to closed-off postures.
- Pride and confidence: Individuals with expansive postures report increased pride in their actions and confidence in their thoughts.
- Better physical health: Expansive posture is associated with better eating tendencies, less fatigue, increased focus, and exercise habits.
- Resiliency: Studies have shown that an open posture can equip people to deal with stressful situations. The ability to face and manage stressful situations increases a person’s overall resiliency and makes them more capable of facing challenges in the future [1][2][4][5].
Techniques for Improving Posture
Given the positive impact upright posture has on mood and cognition, researchers are beginning to look at how posture can be incorporated into mental health interventions to improve a person’s well-being and increase quality of life. It is thought that changing a person’s posture can begin to increase a person’s mood, fatigue levels, self-focus, and positivity. Here are some practical tips and exercises for improving posture in daily life:
- Stretching
Stretching can improve flexibility and increase strength, two key elements of maintaining good posture throughout the day. Engaging in stretches that focus on opening and lengthening the neck, shoulders, and upper and lower back can be helpful.
One example of this would be the upper trap stretch. To do this stretch, you can sit in a chair. Hold the seat with one hand, place your other hand on your head, and slowly bend your head toward your shoulder. Hold both the left and right sides of this stretch for 30 seconds.
- Ergonomic adjustments at work
Ergonomics adjustments are changes to your workstation and equipment that improve your posture, reduce muscle strain, and help you feel more comfortable. They involve shifting your chair position to ensure your back and neck are upright, changing the placement of your keyboard and documents to prevent additional strain on your wrists and arms, and taking frequent breaks to rest your eyes and move your body.
Mindfulness Practices to Enhance Postural Awareness
Mindfulness refers to tuning into and paying attention to the present moment with acceptance and without judgment. When people practice mindfulness, they nonjudgmentally observe their thoughts, feelings, sensations, and environment. Studies have shown that introducing momentary states of mindfulness throughout the day improves a person’s posture because it increases their awareness of their physical state [3]. Mindfulness has also been shown to increase focus, balance, and positivity.
Mindfulness can be incorporated into any aspect of your life, but here are some examples that can help improve your posture:
- Mindful walking is where you pay attention to the world around you while moving your body through gentle, slow walking.
- Traditional seated meditation is where you sit cross-legged in silence for a certain length of time.
- Breathing exercises, such as inhaling for four breaths and exhaling for seven
- Body scan is where you tune into your physical state and mentally scan your body from head to toe to observe how it feels.
The Connection Between Physical and Mental Health
The dense and scientific book The Body Keeps the Score proves the connection between the mind and the body. It documents psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk’s four decades of work studying the impact of trauma on the brain. His research showed how a person’s emotional state impacts the body.
Kolk demonstrated how heightened states of hypervigilance in trauma survivors led to physical health problems. He also showed how mindfulness practices can calm the body’s stress responses and lessen physical ailments [5].
The mind-body connection can also be applied when correcting one’s posture. Earlier in the article, the correlation between posture and mood was referenced as the embodied cognition theory, where researchers have proven that muscular and automatic functions are influenced by how a person experiences and perceives emotions.
By engaging in daily activities that promote good posture, you not only improve your physical health but also your emotional well-being. So, when people sit upright, stretch daily, and practice mindfulness, they are more likely to remain emotionally regulated, have a positive outlook, and experience less fatigue. In this way, the body’s physical state impacts a person’s emotional experience.
Professional Help for Postural Issues
There may be times when professional help is needed to improve chronic postural problems that are impacting your mental health. If you have tried stretching, ergonomic adjustments, and mindfulness techniques but still struggle to maintain good posture throughout the day, you might benefit from seeing a chiropractor or attending physical therapy.
On the flip side, if you notice that your symptoms of depression and anxiety aren’t improving and are negatively impacting your posture, seeking out the support of a mental health therapist can give you tools to cope with difficult emotions and start moving toward positive change.
- Awad, Sarah, et al. “Embodiment: I sat, I felt, I performed – Posture effects on mood and cognitive performance.” Acta Psychologica, vol. 218, July 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691821001037
- Deaver, G. G. (1933). Posture and Its Relation to Mental and Physical Health. Research Quarterly. American Physical Education Association, 4(1), 221–228. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23267402.1933.10761571
- Kee, Y.H., Chatzisarantis, N. N., Kong, P. W., Chow, J. Y., & Chen, L. H. (2012). Mindfulness Movement Control, and Attentional Focus Strategies: Effects of Mindfulness on a Postural Balance Task. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 34(5), 561-579. Retrieved Feb 4, 2025, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23027228/
- Kim K. Y. (2022). The Association between Working Posture and Workers’ Depression. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 10(3), 477. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/3/477
- Kolk, Bessel van der. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Reprint ed., Penguin Books, 2015.
- Nair, S., Sagar, M., Sollers, J., 3rd, Consedine, N., & Broadbent, E. (2015). Do slumped and upright postures affect stress responses? A randomized trial. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 34(6), 632–641. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fhea0000146
The Clinical Affairs Team at MentalHealth.com is a dedicated group of medical professionals with diverse and extensive clinical experience. They actively contribute to the development of content, products, and services, and meticulously review all medical material before publication to ensure accuracy and alignment with current research and conversations in mental health. For more information, please visit the Editorial Policy.
MentalHealth.com is a health technology company guiding people towards self-understanding and connection. The platform provides reliable resources, accessible services, and nurturing communities. Its purpose is to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being.
Christy Matta M.A. is a medical writer with extensive training and experience in mindfulness and dialectical behavior therapy. She has authored many articles on DBT, communication skills, happiness, mindfulness, and more.
Dr. Brittany Ferri, PhD, is a medical reviewer and subject matter expert in behavioral health, pediatrics, and telehealth.
Medical Reviewer:
The Clinical Affairs Team at MentalHealth.com is a dedicated group of medical professionals with diverse and extensive clinical experience. They actively contribute to the development of content, products, and services, and meticulously review all medical material before publication to ensure accuracy and alignment with current research and conversations in mental health. For more information, please visit the Editorial Policy.
MentalHealth.com is a health technology company guiding people towards self-understanding and connection. The platform provides reliable resources, accessible services, and nurturing communities. Its purpose is to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being.