Social psychologist Amy Cuddy discusses how adopting powerful poses can influence hormones and affect your confidence and performance. Powerful poses that expand your physical size, such as standing with your hands on your hips or arms stretched behind your head, can increase testosterone and decrease cortisol, making you feel more powerful and in control. These poses trick your body into thinking you are actually powerful and confident, even if you don't feel that way, by stimulating dominance hormones and reducing stress hormones.