Good Posture May Ease Symptoms of Depression

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Good Posture May Ease Symptoms of Depression, written by Andrew Siyabalawatte, and narrated by Emma.
When you’re down in the dumps, sitting up straighter may lift your spirits.
People with depression often slouch, their droopy shoulders mirroring their down mood. So what happens if they simply sit up straighter? They may feel more upbeat and less fatigued, says a new study from the University of Auckland. The study was published in the March 2017 issue of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
Previous research had focused on the link between posture and mood in healthy populations.
These studies suggested that, compared to sitting in a slumped position, sitting upright can make you feel more proud after a success, increase your persistence at an unsolvable task, and make you feel more confident in your thoughts. Research also suggests that sitting upright can make you feel more alert and enthusiastic, feel less fearful, and have higher self-esteem after a stressful task.
But would a simple change in posture have any impact on people with depression?
In the studies mentioned here, researchers randomly assigned the participants to either an upright-posture group or a usual-posture group. Those in the upright-posture group were given instructions on how to sit up straight:
First, they looked straight ahead, straightened their backs, and leveled their shoulders.
Then, they thought about stretching the tops of their heads toward the ceiling while gently drawing their shoulder blades down and together.
The results from the study concluded that those with mild to moderate depression who sat upright, reduced their fatigue and increased their enthusiasm over a short time period, compared to individuals who sat in their usual posture.
If you have depression that’s causing serious distress and interfering with your daily life, good posture alone is no substitute for professional treatment. But as an addition to treatment, occasionally reminding yourself to sit or stand up straight might help you feel more upbeat and energetic. Thus far, there’s only limited evidence to support this approach, but there’s also very little risk in trying it.
If you don’t have depression but are just feeling a little blue, multiple studies suggest that improving droopy posture may give your mood a pick-me-up. Therefore, if you notice your shoulders are slumped and you are looking at the ground whilst walking, look up and put you shoulders back, because there is a good chance you may immediately feel much better.