I tried this and it actually worked! If you have autism, try it too.
N.B.: I am not a paid spokeswoman. Besides, TED is a non-profit.
We with autism, children included, can feel bad about who we are. We can interpret when someone doesn’t like us, doesn’t listen to us, or doesn’t associate with us. Children can get repeatedly told to act like someone else other than who they are, such as in school. Other kids can be mean. Adults can be mean or in most cases, unwittingly say things that are rude.
Our bodies can close up around us, being small like we feel or from what we interpret from the world around us.
You are not small.
You are a big, “out there” person who has much to offer the world. To do that, as talked about in the video, fake it ’til you make it. In more concrete terms, change you body language, no matter how uncomfortable it may feel at first, and the body’s signals will change how you feel about yourself. Your body language will open up, literally with your stance.
In the video, Amy Cuddy talks about how our hormones actually change as a result of your body stance to bring about a change in thinking or feeling. I ran across this because I am working on a book about weighted blankets, which also brings about a change from being on the body, though for different purposes.
When you are feeling small, or if you notice your body language being small, do the two-minute “opening up the body” exercise. Your new body language will also be interpreted by people around us, usually for a big, good result.
It has been a great help for me.
