If we are sincere with ourselves, we would agree that we tend to sit hunched over, staring down at our computer or phone most of the time. This is truly harmful to our posture and impacts our physical and mental health. We should all make an effort to sit up straighter, especially when tackling a difficult task because our posture does not just affect our bodies but also touches our brains. Posture has a wide-ranging effect on our well-being, both physical and mental.

Have you heard of the famous saying, “Stand strong, look like a winner?” I am sure most of us have heard similar encouraging statements but could not understand what they mean. Research shows that posture plays a critical role in how we present ourselves to the world.

How Maintaining Good Posture Can Boost Your Confidence.

• Good posture helps boost your confidence: Any time you stand up straight, you automatically feel more confident and assertive. This happens because good posture engages your core muscles, which helps to stabilize your spine and improve your balance. This, in turn, makes you feel more secure and confident in your body.
• It helps command attention: If you are a leader or working in a professional setting, standing up straight helps project confidence through your posture, making people more likely to pay attention to and take you seriously.
• Good posture makes you look more attractive and approachable: People with good posture are more confident and approchable than those with poor posture. This is because good posture makes you look more open and approachable, which can appeal to other people. Studies show that sitting up straight can invite conversation and even compliments, while someone hunching over a screen sends the message that they don’t want to be approached.
• Improved clarity: Did you know that good posture can significantly improve your clarity? Good posture increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, generating clarity. With good clarity, we are able to focus better and apply ourselves. Therefore, whenever you feel low, it would help to sit or stand upright to improve your mind.

How to Create a More Confident Posture

From nailing your leadership to interview, check out some of the postures to help improve your confidence!

• Keep Your Chin Up: During conversations, always keep your head up, whether you are waiting or while you present. This helps create a positive, confident image. Also, ensure you straighten your whole body by standing up tall with a straight spine and rolled-back shoulders to show poise.
• Make Eye Contact: Making and maintaining direct eye contact with the people you speak to shows you are sure of yourself and ready to tackle any conversation.
• Avoid Fidgeting: Keep fidgeting to a minimum. If you are used to playing with your hands, fiddling with your glass or key, or pulling at your clothes, try to stop. Fidgeting can be distracting to those around you and show signs of anxiety.

Good posture is significant in projecting confidence and authority, improving physical health, and making a positive impression on others. For more guidance on how good posture impacts your confidence, contact Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, for assistance!

Would having a blessed word and a positive attitude greatly help your recovery? You are not the only one, meaning the majority are included in that list. It is important to note that many people have truly amazing transformations while physically and psychologically healing from positivity. To expand further, we have taken the time to explain the scientific aspects of positivity's healing power and strategies to harness this vital tool. Have a look!

Why Positivity Enhances Healing

Scientific research proves that having and maintaining a hopeful attitude assists in recovery. Reducing negativity in your life leads to your body producing endorphins and other hormone products that facilitate relief from pain and provide for general health. This biochemical response also works in reducing stress and anxiety since stress and anxiety slow down the pace of the healing process.

Also, a positive psychological outlook on life can enable a person to build a strong immune system. Research also proves that having a positive attitude helps produce more antibodies and improves the number of immune cells. That would assist the body in fighting against infections and injuries and allow quick recovery from such conditions.

The steps to set a positive outlook for the healing process

Since maintaining a positive attitude may seem impossible, especially in trying times, there are measures you can embrace to ensure that you always have a positive outlook in life. Have a glance!

· Practice Gratitude: Practicing thankfulness and maintaining a gratitude journal where you write down good things about your life are also important. Every day, one must list important, relatively insignificant, important things for which they are grateful. It assists in regaining control over your thought process by replacing negative stimuli with positive ones.

· Surround Yourself with Positive People: Engage in relations with other people, such as friends and family, who are positive. Joyful interpersonal transactions improve one’s moods and overall emotional well-being, vital for reintegration.

· Engage in Activities You Enjoy: Engage in activities and hobbies that may be enjoyable and offer satisfaction to others. Pleasure activities can help patients shift their focus away from sensations of pain and help lessen the intensity of pain and other related discomforts while attaining goals that will provide happiness.

· Stay Active: If you want to get active, try walking, yoga, or gentle stretching because it is good for you and helps you feel better. It is a well-known fact that regularly exercising makes one feel happier and releases tension caused by day-to-day activities, and the body is built to be strong and healthy.

· Mindfulness and Meditation: Always think about practicing mindfulness and meditation to stay as focused as you need. It highlights various practices that can be used to calm down, turn to a happier state, and have a better state of well-being.

That has been shown to positively increase one’s chances of recovery by implementing the above-discussed tips into practice. If this is a problem for you to have a positive mindset, it would be helpful if you consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, to create a plan or recommendation on how to be positive and improve yourself for healing.

Have you ever been stressed or tense? You are not alone. Daily stress increases in the lives of many individuals. But the good news is that in a moment of anxiety, one can exhale and immediately reconnect with a happier state. While it is indeed essential, breathing is much more than a basic human necessity – it can help slow down racing thoughts and even reduce stress. But first, let me explain what these methods are based on and how you can introduce them to your lifestyle without hassle.

Why Breathing Techniques Work

Breathing is one of the most effective techniques for easing stress levels. When you get stressed, the body copes by responding as if it is under attack, i.e., the fight or flight response, and therefore, your heart races and the muscles tense. Therefore, deep and controlled breathing decreases this by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system with messages of rest.

Breathing in and out helps lower cortisol levels – a hormone associated with stress – in the human body. This makes you more relaxed and positively impacts your health by reducing your blood pressure and the rate at which your heart is beating.

Breathing Techniques for Instant relaxation

While we are sometimes stressed, these relaxation methods will be beneficial. Have a glance!

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Also known as diaphragmatic breathing, this technique incorporates deep breath that expands the lungs and leads to contraction and expansion of the abdominal muscles. Here’s how:

· Relax in a comfortable position, preferably sitting or lying down.

· Steady your feet, and bring two right-hand fingers to your upper left chest and the remaining fingers to your lower left abdomen.

· Take a deep breath with your nostrils, and try to feel your belly button come outwards.

· Now breathe out deeply, releasing the air through the mouth, and try to look at your falling abdomen.

2. 4-7-8 Breathing

Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, this technique relaxes the nervous system:

· Put as much air into your lungs as possible using your nose only for four seconds.

· Please take a deep breath and hold it for 7 seconds.

· Slowly breathe from your mouth for 8 seconds.

Incorporate this cycle 4x, preferably before retiring to bed at night.

3. Box Breathing

Used by Navy SEALs to stay calm under pressure:

· Take a deep breath and breathe through your mouth for approximately four seconds.

· Retain a break for the next four seconds going up to the count.

· Exhale through the mouth for four second

Repeating this for 5–10 minutes brings the person to a calm state.

Ways that they can be Incorporated in Routine Activities

Try incorporating these techniques into your daily routine through these simple strategies:

Morning Routine: Take five minutes to practice diaphragmatic breathing to ensure a relaxing tone.

Breaks at Work: Breathe in a box during break times if you are stressed or want to enhance your concentration.

Evening Wind Down: Take a few minutes before bed to try the 4-7-8 breathing exercises to help a person fall asleep.

By doing this, different breathing techniques can help minimize the effects of stress and improve the quality of life. As we have mentioned many times before, breathing is a unique weapon that you have; now, begin to breathe yourself into calmness.

Seeking Support!

Remember, seeking professional help is okay if you feel the techniques are not working or need more guidance. If you would like a more detailed explanation of breathing your way to relaxation, we recommend talking to Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth.