How To Be Happy #6: Being Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is awesome. She was my favourite superhero even before Gal Gadot remade her for the new generation, and she’ll probably stay my fave for a long, long time. Not only is she beautiful, she’s smart, kind, passionate and kick-ass.
Also, and this is super cool, she can keep up a strapless, sleeveless pantsuit without ever doing that annoying shimmy you have to do to pull up awkwardly fitting clothes.
Even apart from all that, there’s something we can learn from her which will help us get happier (whether we’re wearing strapless pantsuits or not).
What it’s about is her Wonder Woman stance.
Can you picture her? The drawings of the old cartoons come to my mind. She shoots into the air, looking ahead and up, one arm out in front and high, the other flying out behind her, both hands making fists.
Just like your facial expression can change your mood, so can your posture.
Get up from your chair and stand up for a minute. Make your own Wonder Woman stance and hold it for two full minutes.
Yep. Thirty seconds… 60 seconds…. 90 seconds… two minutes.
Relax.
And now write down how you feel.
Energized? Strong? Confident? Like, um, Wonder Woman?
We all know that the way we feel affects our body language. But it’s so cool when we realise that we can affect the way we feel by using body language. Our bodies and minds are connected in all sorts of amazing and marvellous ways, and we can often turn our thoughts around by using our bodies differently.
Any time you feel sluggish or scared or stupid, whisk yourself into a quiet place and go all Wonder Woman. You’ll come out feeling like a superhero, ready to tackle anything.
To think about
Who’s your favourite superhero?
How did you feel after practicing your Wonder Woman stance for two minutes?
Just for fun: what two super powers would you like to have? And why?
Do you know anyone who moves like Wonder Woman? What are they like?
Want more on how to be happy? Check out the rest of Cecily Paterson's How To Be Happy blog series for more tips and advice.
Want more of Cecily's writing? You can grab a free copy of her novel, Invisible here.