What Posture Actually Does

What current research actually supports about posture and confidence:

• Expansive postures raise confidence: people reliably report feeling more powerful when they stand tall and take up space
• Posture shapes how others see you: observers rate people who take up space as more confident and competent
• Shrinking lowers confidence: hunching, crossing your arms, or making yourself small reliably reduces self-reported confidence

How you hold your body shapes how you feel — posture is not just appearance, it is mindset.