Mental Models for Better Posture
Posture, or more precisely good posture, is something I’ve cared about since my mother pointed out my slouch when I was a teenager. Despite caring about it for the last twenty years, I still haven’t been able to crack sitting and standing up straight.
Recently however, I might be onto two things that seem to be making my posture better. The first is a mind/body exercise involving three simple adjustments, which we can all do. The second one is about striving for symmetry in our movement and use of our body. Both these things are easier said than done, but the key to actually deploying them seems to be more in your head than in your body.
Good news! It’s mostly in your head.
Before diving into this life hack, allow me to touch a little on WHY good posture is important.
Why is good posture important? There are too many great reasons to cover in this article, and other expert sources do a better job anyways (check out Healthline and this Orthopedic Clinic to start); so let me share my top three.
Confidence - when I am aware of being in good posture I feel much more confident. My strong assumption is that this also rubs off on those around you. An honest look into my primeval and subconscious impressions of others shows that it's very positively influenced when the person in question has good posture. For sure there is much more to people than their posture, but I must admit that folks with good posture already have a head start in giving off the impression that they are solid, integral and in charge. It never hurts to have a head start like this.
Decompression of your digestive organs/system - it aids better digestion and reducing heartburn (something that has been creeping up on me ever since I crossed the mid-thirties mark). Quite simple science here - sitting/standing up straight reduces pressure on the system, alleviating constriction and allowing things to flow more freely; basically letting gravity play its role of sending things down, instead of them going in reverse, as those of us suffering from heartburn so painfully endure.
Better breathing - similar to point 2, better posture lets your lungs operate to their full potential by removing unnecessary compression. You get more out of each breath, which, at least for me, makes one feel much more alive.
So back to how we can improve our posture. In addition to making sure you have your work and house routines set up for ideal ergonomics, here are the two things that have been helping me make a noticeable difference.
#1 - Pull in, pull back, pull up
The first trick is reminding yourself, as often as possible, to do three simple adjustments to your posture; and try and keep them as long as possible. We will inevitably revert back to our less-than-perfect posture, but as this is very simple, just hit repeat as many times as you can. Over time, the adjusted position should hopefully become more of a default.
So….drumroll…below are the three simple adjustments. The order in which we do them also seems to make a difference.
First - pull in your stomach. This will naturally push up the rest of your core and torso into a more erect and well-postured position.
Next - pull back your shoulders. This opens up your lungs for better breathing, further reduces downwards pressure on your core & torso and widens your frame for a more confident and cool image.
Finally- pull up your head. This rounds everything out, reduces strain on your whole spine & back, and makes you feel much more alert and ready for whatever life has to throw at you. And for those of us using computers, smartphones, or even reading books (actually, basically any activity that is not deliberately physical), pulling up your head is the most important thing you can do as the it always seems to bob down when engaging in such non-physical activities.
At the start, you will probably only maintain your better posture for a few minutes. That is totally cool. The more you remind yourself to pull in, pull back, pull up (IN-BACK-UP - or IBU!) the more habitual it will become. And the more you do it, the more your muscles will actually evolve to better hold such positions naturally. It’s all virtuous-cycle positive reinforcement, so just keep at it.
Being successful at this is more in the mind than in the body. It’s your mind that reminds your body to get into the better form. Over time the body will take things over on its own, but to get things started, you must tap into that remarkable mind of yours!
Striving for Symmetry
The next thing is also more about your mind making deliberate moves to optimize your body’s movements and improve your posture. It’s quite a simple concept, but one I wager most of us ignore.
We are all creatures of habit and comfort, and that usually means that we have a preferred side of our body to employ for all the repetitive things we do throughout the day. This means you are usually crossing your legs with always the same leg on top. It means you carry bags with the same arm/shoulder almost every time. You are probably brushing your teeth with the same hand (usually your dominant one) all the time.
And what does all this do? Well, over years and decades, it creates deeply ingrained asymmetries throughout your whole body.
This isn’t good for your posture and it puts unnecessary strain on one side of a body zone, while depriving the other side of the action it needs to stay strong and nimble.
How to remedy? Again a lot of it’s in the mind and very simple. Every time you catch yourself doing something predominantly with one side of your body, stop and do it with the side you usually don’t use. Crossing your legs is probably the easiest place to start. Let me warn you that it will feel very unnatural at the start. Do it for a few minutes and then maybe try and revert back to a neutral pose (which is better for your posture anyways). If you still really want to cross your legs, it’s OK to revert back to your dominant pose, but really try and make sure you are using the opposite leg as frequently as possible. Over time, ideally you will end up being able to use both sides with equal ease & comfort.
Carrying bags is another easy win. For activities that require more dexterity, like brushing your teeth; maybe start with your non-dominant hand for all the easy to brush areas and finish off with your dominant hand to make sure you aren’t risking your oral health in the search for symmetry.
It will take a while to notice major differences, but each time you are using the opposite side, you are helping slowly, but surely, rebalance your body to something much more symmetrical.
Train your brain to tame your body
I have by no means perfected my posture, but I am definitely noticing a difference already. Once COVID allows me back in the gym (or I stop making excuses and start doing home workouts) I plan to further strengthen my core and posture in general, but in the meantime these two simple mental models of In-Back-Up (IBU) and Striving for Symmetry are easy things we can all deploy to try and better our posture, which I think overall raises our standing (no pun intended) in life.
Would love to hear other simple things people have been doing for their posture as well as any feedback on IBU or Striving for Symmetry.
Happy straight standing and sitting!!
