Unlocking the Body's Wisdom: Optimize Fertility through Embodied Cognition
While everyone is trying to sell you miracle cures - I’d like to share with you some of your own superpowers - no herbs required.
The way you feel, think, move and even dress on your way to parenthood is just as crucial as what’s happening with your reproductive organs. Feeling empowered and positive can actually influence your hormones and make a difference! (Feeling positive has nothing to do with forcing yourself to think positively all day as we’ve discussed in another blog).
Here's the scoop:
When you feel powerful, your brain works like a champ, boosting executive functioning and decision-making. Plus, pain becomes more manageable, and your memory gets a little boost. In other words, you're on top of your game. (Who wouldn’t want that for your next clinic appointment?)
Now, let's talk about how you can tap into this power during your journey to parenthood. It's all about those "power poses" - upright, expansive positions that make you feel like Wonder Woman (or Superman!). Think confident, strong, and in control.
Why is Feeling Powerful Important?
When you feel powerless, your brain acts very differently and works against you in the following ways:
Anxiety increases, reducing executive functioning of the brain (the ability to make decisions and focus).
Pain increases
Working memory is impaired making it more difficult to remember information provided by staff.
Your focus is more external, and you’re less self-conscious.
BUT feeling empowered acts as a buffer against negative emotions and you’re less worried about what others think.
Your focus is widened and your thinking becomes more positive.
According to expert Adam Galinksy power incites you to take action (you’re more proactive).
You feel more connected to others.
You feel more in control
Pain is reduced.
But feeling empowered doesn’t just expand our minds – it expands our body too. Wide expansive open body posture is linked to dominance in the animal kingdom and in humans it related to higher levels of testosterone (the confidence hormone). When we feel powerful we make ourselves look bigger. Look at how players react to a World Cup goal…or an athlete who has just won a race. Their arms go into the air, their chests out and their chin is up (this expansive body posture is also seen in blind athletes on crossing the finish line…it’s an innate expression of triumph. When we feel powerless (upset…anxious) we tend to make ourselves smaller and that body language makes us seem less powerful by those around us.
Feeling powerful or powerless also influences how we walk and talk. Research suggests that we speak slower and pause more when we feel confident and the pitch of our voice deepens (to make us seem bigger). The muscles of the larynx expand rather than tighten. As a midwife I’ve worked with women who use low deep sounds when they are coping well (empowered) and high pitch sounds when they are distressed and not coping.
In other fascinating researc,h we’re learning that the body language of others also impacts our feelings of power or powerlessness as we mimic the body language of others. If your partner or even your nurse is stressed or uninterested it can impact your physiology. Our expectations of others is reflected in our body language. If you’re not feeling the love from clinic staff - even tiny microexpressions you pick up on can cause a stress response when you get the vibe that someone isn’t being authentic with you.
Enclothed Cognition
Did you know that even dressing confidently can make a difference? Ditch those clinic gowns and opt for clothes that make you feel good. It's like dressing for the role of a lifetime - because it is! Dress for how you want to feel. Did you know that what you wear during important events can totally change your experience? It's like a secret power-up for your mood, thoughts, and even how energized you feel during clinic visits. Cue the superhero music, because we're talking about "enclothed cognition" - fancy psychology lingo for how clothes can totally shape our mindset, our behavior, and even how other people behave around us.
So, let's be real here. Clinic/Hospital gowns? Not exactly the confidence-boosting, powerful superhero outfits we want for this journey, right? A medical gown might seem logical, but it can send a sneaky signal to your brain that you’re in danger. Newsflash: the last thing we want is your brain releasing stress hormones right now.
There was a fascinating experiment that found, wearing a Superman T-Shirt not only made students feel more confident but also physically stronger! Boom! Imagine grabbing your favorite outfit and telling your brain, "Hey, we've got this!” as you skip into your clinic feeling optimistic.
And let's talk about those professional athletes. Serena Williams has her lucky socks, and Tiger Woods rocks that red shirt on tournament days. They know the secret to harnessing the right energy and mindset. Do you have lucky undies or socks that you’ll wear on the day?
One study asked 400 women about their top reasons for choosing special outfits, and guess what? Confidence topped the list! Comfort and self-expression were close behind. So why not combine all three for your clinic adventures?
And don't underestimate the power of a smile - smiling can lower stress levels and boost your mood.
Here are some simple hacks to harness your inner power and change your physiology too!
At clinic appointments, stand tall or walk around. Embrace your space and feel empowered. Limit time on small devices such as your Smartphone – new research strongly suggests that the smaller the device the more we hunch over it (contractive body position) and the less assertive we become (hunching is a disempowered position).
Practice slow, deep breathing to feel grounded in your body (and not stressed out in your head).
Take a power pose for just two minutes - even if it's in the bathroom.
If you can't physically pose, do it mentally - recall a moment when you felt powerful. Sit in those feelings and soak them in.
Pay attention to your posture throughout the day. Make tiny adjustments to prime your mindset and mood.
If you're interested in diving deeper into this concept, check out Amy Cuddy's TED Talk (it's fantastic!) and her book "Presence."
Your body and mind are a dynamic duo, and together, you have the tools to rock this journey.
Tracy
References:
Cuddy, A. (2012). Your body language shapes who you are. TED Talk. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are
Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. Little, Brown Spark.
