Summary of "Amy Cuddy TED Talk - Fake it Till You Make it"

Key Wellness and Productivity Strategies from Amy Cuddy's TED Talk "Fake it Till You Make it"

Body Language Awareness and Adjustment
- Begin by auditing your current posture and body language to notice if you are making yourself smaller or closed off (e.g., hunching, crossing legs, wrapping arms).
- Small tweaks in posture can significantly influence how your life unfolds.
Power Poses to Influence Mind and Mood
- Powerful, expansive body language (e.g., standing tall, spreading out, arms raised in a V) is linked to feelings of confidence and dominance.
- Conversely, powerless body language (e.g., closed posture, making oneself small) correlates with feelings of low power.
- Adopting "high-Power Poses" for just two minutes before stressful or evaluative situations can:
  - Increase feelings of power and confidence.
  - Positively affect hormone levels by increasing testosterone (dominance hormone) and decreasing cortisol (stress hormone).
  - Improve performance in situations like job interviews or public speaking.
Fake It Till You Become It
- Instead of just "faking it till you make it," Cuddy emphasizes "fake it till you become it" — practicing confident behaviors repeatedly until they become part of your identity.
- This approach can help overcome feelings of impostor syndrome and empower individuals to participate more fully and assertively.
Practical Application
- Use Power Poses privately for two minutes before entering evaluative or high-pressure social situations (e.g., job interviews, presentations, meetings).
- This can be done in places like bathrooms, elevators, or behind closed doors.
- These small, no-tech life hacks can lead to big changes in mindset and behavior.
Social and Gender Insights
- Women often exhibit more powerless body language than men, which can impact participation and performance in settings like classrooms and business schools.
- Power Poses and posture adjustments can help mitigate this participation gap.

Presenters / Sources

Amy Cuddy, Social Psychologist and TED Speaker
Dana Carney, Collaborator and Researcher at Berkeley
Jessica Tracy, Researcher on expressions of pride
Nalani Ambady, Researcher on nonverbal communication in physician-patient interactions
Alex Todorov, Researcher on political candidate judgments based on facial cues