People with depression often adopt bad posture, with rounded shoulders and a slouched back. But research shows that sitting or standing upright-learning how to improve posture-can help lift mood and reduce fatigue.
When you’re feeling low, it often shows up in your body first. Your shoulders round forward. Your head drops. You stop taking up space. This is a classic sign of bad posture, and it’s common among people experiencing depression. But could changing bad posture actually help lift your mood?
Emerging research suggests it can-and it starts with learning how to fix bad posture in small, manageable ways.
Why Bad Posture Matters
Slouched shoulders, a rounded back, and a downward gaze aren’t just physical habits-they can reinforce negative feelings. Research shows that people with depression are more likely to display bad posture than those without.
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 is slated for publication in the March 2017 issue of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
The Link Between Bad Posture and Mood
Previous research had focused on the link between posture and mood in healthy populations, says Elizabeth Broadbent, Ph.D., one of the authors of the new study. Broadbent is an associate professor of health psychology at the University of Auckland.
“These studies suggest that sitting upright, compared to slumping, can make you feel more proud after a success. It can also increase your persistence at an unsolvable task and boost your confidence in your thoughts,” Broadbent says.
“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 bad posture have any impact on people with depression? That’s what Broadbent and her colleagues set out to investigate.
Those in the upright bad posture group–
Spoke more during stressful tasks
Used fewer self-focused words like “I” and “me”
Reported feeling more energetic
Experienced less negative mood
This suggests that correcting bad posture may reduce self-focus and emotional fatigue, common in depression.
How Research Shows Posture Affects Depression
The researchers included 61 participants who scored in the mild to moderate depression range on a screening test. The group as a whole was more likely to sit with stooped shoulders and a rounded back, compared to norms for people without depression.
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.
Researchers placed rigid physiotherapy tape on the participants’ shoulders and backs to help them maintain this posture. In contrast, the usual-bad posture group sat however they wished. The researchers also applied tape to their shoulders and backs, but in a way that didn’t affect posture.
While sitting this way, participants performed a task designed to elicit stress. They gave a five-minute speech, with instructions that the audience would judge them, and then counted backward from 1,022 in steps of 13. At various points, participants also completed questionnaires measuring their mood symptoms.
“In addition,” Broadbent says, “participants sitting upright spoke more words during the stressful speech task. They also used fewer first-person singular pronouns, such as ‘me’ and ‘I.’ This suggests they had more energy, experienced less negative mood, and were less self-focused”-changes consistent with easing depressive symptoms.
Simple Ways to Fix Bad Posture
If you have depression that causes serious distress and interferes with daily life, good posture cannot replace professional treatment. However, as a complement to treatment, occasionally reminding yourself to sit or stand up straight may 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.
In any case, improving slouchy posture may have other health benefits. Poor posture can lead to backaches, neck and shoulder pain and headaches. A wellness clinic in Guildford, combines evidence based posture correction with massage therapy, osteopathy and physiotherapy to combat the detrimental effect of poor posture and depression.
If you don’t have depression but are feeling a little blue, studies suggest that improving slouched posture can lift your mood.
“I got into this area after one day when I was walking along, feeling sad after a bad day,” says Broadbent. While walking, he noticed his shoulders were slumped and his gaze fixed on the ground. When he looked up and pulled his shoulders back, he immediately felt much better.
Broadbent adds, “I hypothesized that, if this worked for me, it might work for other people, too. That is what got me started on this research pathway. From my own experience and from my research, I think adopting an upright posture can help people feel better. But I think much depends on context and situation, and more research is needed into when [this strategy] works and for whom.”
Physical and Mental Benefits of Correcting Bad Posture
You don’t need physiotherapy tape or special equipment to see benefits. Small, mindful changes can help:
Stand or sit tall, imagining the top of your head reaching toward the ceiling
Roll your shoulders gently back and down
Keep your gaze forward, not at the floor
Take short breaks from slouching, especially during long periods of sitting
These simple actions are ways to learn how to improve posture naturally and consistently.
The Physical Benefits of Fixing Bad Posture
Beyond mood, bad posture can lead to physical problems like:
Back and neck pain
Shoulder tension
Headaches
Correcting posture can relieve physical discomfort, which may also improve overall well-being.
Why It Works in Bad posture
One of the researchers, Elizabeth Broadbent, noticed in her own life that posture affects emotion. After a stressful day, she found her shoulders slumped and her gaze downward. When she straightened up and looked ahead, her mood lifted immediately. This observation inspired further research into bad posture and mental health.
Bad posture doesn’t just change how you look-it can influence how you feel. Learning how to fix posture and practicing upright sitting or standing is a low-risk, simple strategy that may boost mood, energy, and confidence.
Even if it’s just a small shift, standing or sitting taller could help you feel a little better each day.
While maintaining proper alignment, participants performed stress-inducing tasks, including giving a short speech and mental arithmetic. Those with corrected posture, practicing how to fix posture, reported improved mood and more energy compared to those with bad posture.