Body Language, The Little Things We Do

Body language is very interesting. The truth of the matter is that our bodies say far more than our words do. Body language can help further emphasize the point that you want to get across. It you can read body language appropriately, you can tell if someone is telling you the truth or not. There are several parts to body language and many techniques and movements to learn and interpret.

Something that tends to put someone at ease is a technique called mirroring. When you mirror something you take on a similar shape and stance. If you are in a consultation with someone and want to put them at ease, try sitting or standing in a similar manner. Doing this reassures the person and helps ease stress. It also helps any discussion flow in a much more positive way.

A body language technique that tends to annoy others is something called displacement. Examples of this are biting your nails, Chewing gum, playing with hair, ect. When someone is displaying this type of body language, it can mean that they are nervous or tense. When we are nervous, our bodies become full of tension, these movement help to reduce that. However, if you’re trying to look powerful or confident displacement will not work. The other person will see right through you.

The next time you’re in the presence of someone that you don’t know, try to monitor what you do. Are you constantly straightening your suit or adjusting your hair? Are you moving your clothing about to make it look better? If you are then this is normal. This is called grooming and we naturally do it in the presence of new people. Especially new people that we want to make a good impression on. Some grooming is fine but you don’t ant to go over the top. If you feel the urge to groom then perhaps you should head to a restroom.

Body language can tell us a lot. It can tell us what people are really thinking and be used to convey and emphasize the messages that we want. Body language can be very effective and useful if one can recognize and perform it correctly.