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TED Talk Tuesday: Amy Cuddy – Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

As a society, we are obsessed with body language – it allows us to analyze someone partially subconscious thought process. We want to pick up on peoples non-verbal cues, as it is a perceived indicator of what they are really thinking. However, we almost always see body language as something external from ourselves.

Body language is also a powerful manipulator of how people receive you, but it also has a powerful effect on how you perceive yourself. This month’s TED Talk, “Your body language shapes who you are” by Amy Cuddy explores the science of personal body language perception.

One of the most important lessons I have learned from this TED Talk is the importance of Power posing. Power posing, interestingly enough, is when you stand in powerful poses for roughly two minutes. Typical power poses require you to spread out as much as possible – stand with your legs squared to your shoulders and your hand on your hips our outreached or place your hands flat on a table while standing. If you need inspiration, think of the poses you see from powerful CEO-types in the media.

Power Posing

Power posing, for two minutes, can help increase your testosterone and lower your cortisol, which has the overall effect of making you seem more commanding or positively increasing your presence. You come across as a more confident,

Power posing is a technique I have personally tried before, especially before interviews. I can personally attest to feeling more confident, and having a more communicative interview after power posing – especially compared to interviews where I have gone in after low-power posing (such as hunching my shoulders or glancing at my phone). I feel as if my responses to questions were more coherent, and my ability to react to questions was quicker. I have found that power posing forces a confidence boost, which makes me feel like I am more qualified for the interview (reducing that “I’m-not-supposed-to-be-here” feeling, which sucks).

Power posing, and more general awareness of body language can be used in many more situation than just interviews – it may help you feel more confident when walking into a seminar, or help you understand group dynamic better while working on a project. Being more aware of how your body language is being perceived is an important skill to hone, as it can often give away more information about you than your words.

Try taking power posing into the upcoming school year, it may just change how people perceive you – but more importantly, how you perceive yourself.

Have you used power posing before, or something similar? What did you think? Tell us in the comments, or tweet us at @ubcpharmacy.

–Sukhman Perhar, Communications and Marketing

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TED Talk Tuesday: “Why truly innovative science demands a leap into the unknown” by Uri Alon

“Why truly innovative science demands a leap into the unknown” by Uri Alon is this month’s featured TED Talk, as it highlights to combination of science and creativity to truly create the most innovative science advancements.  Many Pharmacy students intend to use their training in Pharmaceutical Sciences to pursue a career in research.

Uri Alon has created the concept of the cloud – a metaphysical space for researchers who are confused about the direction of their work. The creation of the concept, and its proliferation in the scientific community, has allowed a dialogue to be opened about the process of knowledge creation.

An inspirational talk for anyone, not those just going into research, highlights the importance of embracing failure and transforming it to a point of creativity. By continuing to pursue options after an initial failure, and by allowing yourself to use the subjective and emotional side of your brain, researchers can push beyond the boundaries of the known into innovative unknown solutions.

 

By combining science and the lessons learned in improv acting, the cloud that Uri Alon has created allows researchers to persevere through their intellectual doubts and stalls, emerging from the cloud with innovative new solutions to their original problem.

What do you think? How do you combine creativity and science?

– Sukhman Perhar, Communications and Marketing

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Advice

TED Talk Tuesday: The Happy Secret to Better Work

This month’s featured TED Talk, “The Happy Secret to Better Work”, explores the ideas of happiness, perspective, and productivity. Presenter Shawn Achor has spent 12 years studying what makes people happy at Harvard University. Now, you might think, “why study happiness at Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, with a study body who are amongst the most privileged?”

Achor postulates that our external world (whether we’re at Harvard or at community college, lottery winners or retail workers) only accounts for 10% of our long-term happiness and 90% is based on the way our brain processes our situation. Check out the talk:

How is this relevant? While the summer is in full swing, many students have time to reflect on the year gone by. I think this is the perfect TED Talk to help determine the mindset you are going to have going into your next year. Whether it is course registration, decisions about majors, or career options – this TED Talk proves that having a positive perspective on your situation can make a massive difference to personal outcomes.

Rather than seeing a heavy course load as daunting, it can be seen as a result of attending an amazing institution for learning. Our peers can transform from competitors for class registration and careers, to fantastic opportunities to learn, grow, and network.

If the sheer thought of being happier is not enough to convince you, there are productivity benefits to processing our world with a positive lens. Achor states that our brain works 31% more productively when thinking with a positive perspective, over a negative, neutral, or stressed perspective. Extrapolated out to students, you could get through studying faster, learn material quicker, and (with that extra time) have a better social experience at university.

As you continue to think about the next year, be it school or work, remember to stay positive and truly appreciate the opportunities that are presented to you.

What do you think? Do you have any tips for staying positive while at UBC?

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