The Power of Body Language

The process of communicating non-verbally is the first thing that you typically notice when interacting with others. Body language has a way of relaying specific intentional or unintentional messages whenever there is interaction with others. We express ourselves through body language such as posture, eye contact, and gestures. Though the meaning of each varies from culture to culture, we read body language to convey thoughts, feelings, and intentions. 

 

Posture

 

In most cases, a person’s posture is one of the most important and first things that most people notice about another individual. This is because the way you hold yourself conveys specific messages to the people around you.

 

You can often demonstrate whether you are confident, shy, nervous, or apathetic by your posture. While standing tall, holding your shoulders back and your head held high can show that you are confident, standing with your shoulders slouched and head down can relay a message that you are not.

 

Whether you intend to convey specific messages, you tend to do so by how you carry yourself in front of others. The power of using your posture to show others the side of you that is strong, brave, and confident can go a long way to achieving your goals.

 

Eye Contact

 

Eye contact is another essential part of body language that demonstrates who you are as a person. Although maintaining eye contact may or may not be intentional, it can convey a specific message to others with whom you are interacting.

 

It can become an intense or awkward situation when you make eye contact with someone and hold it for an extended period. Whereas not making eye contact can make others think that you are not interested in what they are saying.

 

Although this can be somewhat confusing, it is vital to understand that maintaining eye contact does not necessarily mean staring someone down the entire time you talk to them. Instead, it is generally acceptable to hold eye contact in a more natural way that allows others to know that you are interested and not trying to intimidate them.

 

Gesture

 

Many people use hand gestures often as they communicate with others, whether they intend to or not. In most cases, this has become a habit that they picked up either from someone else or something they have done for an extended period.

 

It is important to remember that some gesturing is acceptable while others are not. Knowing the correct way and amount of gestures you should be using during a conversation can differentiate between a successful discussion and an unsuccessful one.

 

Many body language experts say that you should always try to convey that you are open and honest with the person you are speaking. It is essential to keep your palms open while facing the person and make sure you are demonstrating strength and confidence in what you are saying and the gestures you are using.

 

Overall, body language and other non-verbal communication have the power to convey messages that you may not be saying verbally. The way you hold your posture, make eye contact, and use gestures in your communication can demonstrate to others how you feel about what you are saying.