Our body language and what it conveys

“Although our body language governs the way other people perceive us, our body language also covers how we perceive ourselves and how those perceptions become reinforced through our own behaviour, our interactions, and even our physiology,” Amy Cuddy.

Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker. Cuddy studies the psychology of power, non-verbal behaviour and prejudice.

Whether you are a professional, a student, a stay-at-home mom, or an unemployed person, you communicate your emotion and intention to people around you every day through powerful non-verbal messages. These are sometimes as subtle as gestures or posture that denote feelings of high confidence or low confidence. People receive the message you convey about yourself and treat you accordingly.

Can you recall a time when someone walks into your organization and immediately caught your attention? Although you were otherwise engaged, you were inclined to assist that person immediately.

Could it be because that person projected power, confidence or authority?

If you can understand body language cues, it can help you to be more conscious of the messages you convey and how to interpret and respond to others more effectively. Today we explore some common body language signals and what they represent.

Facial Expressions: The most detectible body language is perhaps, facial expressions. They convey curiosity, happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, fear and disgust. Happiness and warmth are recognizable by a smile with crinkling around the eyes, while anger or frustration is spotted with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes. Surprise or disbelief is recognizable by raised eyebrows and widened eyes, while sadness or disappointment is detectable by a downturned mouth and furrowed brow.

Eye Contact: Eye contact conveys a message of confidence, trustworthiness and engagement. When you hold eye contact during conversations, you are demonstrating attentiveness and letting the other person know that you are interested in the conversation. However, when you are communicating with someone, if either of you do not sustain eye contact, it may be an indication of discomfort, shyness, or even deception. It must also be noted that in some culture, sustained eye contact may be interpreted as respect and sincerity while in others as hostility.

Gestures: The movement of your hands, arms, or body when you speak are gestures and convey messages. Openness, honesty and receptiveness are conveyed with open palms with hands facing upward. Defensiveness, hostility or resistance may be conveyed with clenched fists or crossed arms.

Depending on the context and tone, pointing gestures can be received as either assertive or accusatory; while nodding could convey a message of agreement, approval or understanding.

Posture: Posture is the way we hold and position our body while standing, sitting or moving. Confidence, poise, and self-assurance are conveyed with good posture, an upright spine and shoulders back. On the other hand, we convey lack of confidence, low energy or boredom with slumped shoulders and a hunched back. Leaning in to someone may indicate interest and engagement, while leaning back may indicate relaxation or detachment.

Proximity: This refers to the physical space between people during interactions. The rule differs depending on culture. However, in general, closer proximity indicates intimacy, familiarity, or aggression, while greater distance may indicate discomfort, respect, or formality. Maintaining an appropriate space during interactions fosters comfort and rapport, while invading people’s personal space without permission may be interpreted as intrusive or threatening.

Touch: A powerful form of non-verbal communication is touch. A firm handshake conveys confidenceand professionalism, while a limp handshake may convey shyness or indifference. Empathy or connection is often conveyed with a pat on the back or a reassuring hand on the shoulder. On the other hand, touching someone inappropriately may be perceived as invasive or disrespectful.

Mirroring: Mirroring is to subconsciously imitate the person you are interacting with body language. This creates a sense of connection between you and the other person and may convey mutual understanding and agreement. Mirroring can also be used purposely to build trust and rapport in social or professional settings. Mirroring is said to be important in negotiations.

Many assumptions are formed every day solely on the way people present themselves. Body language is a powerful, universal form of communication. In cases where people’s verbal communication and non-verbal communication do not convey the same message, the non-verbal message is considered the default message. By understanding and interpreting different body language cues, communication skills can be enhanced and stronger relationships can be fostered. Paying attention to your verbal and non-verbal communication can help you to communicate more authentically.