Nourish Your Soul and Body

Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

For decades, psychologists have been telling us what our body language communicates to others.  Recently, however, researchers have been exploring what our body language says to us.

Feeling heavy before entering the classroom to teach? Try watching a short video by one of your favorite comedians; the act of laughing can lighten your spirits, even though nothing else has changed. Feeling defensive as you approach a presentation where you expect tough questions? Begin by opening your arms wide in a welcoming gesture as you thank people for attending; the gesture itself seems to put you in the place of a royal host, and suddenly, you stand on your own good ground.

Preparing your dossier can keep you living in your head. Weaving together information from different sources, accumulated over years, and crafting cohesive arguments into written narratives that, oh my goodness, affect your career can become so absorbing that you forget to live in the present, in your body. So please take time to nourish your soul by re-inhabiting your body regularly as you work.

Mount a mirror near your computer so you can remember to smile at yourself now and then. Resurrect your favorite music from high school and enjoy the images the tunes evoke. Be deliberate about choosing to move, stretch, and be in places that nourish you. Honor the real body that produces that “body of work” you’re writing about. One of these bodies stays with you, one you will never outgrow.