They say curiosity killed the cat. But why kill the cat when you can read body language?
Is he angry? Is she happy? Is he sad? Is she excited? Is he jealous?
While meeting/interacting with people we often come across these questions. We are not...
With a little conscious effort to improve your body language, you stand a better chance of scoring that job, that date, or simply being seen as the engaging and genuine person that you are.
1. Smile and laugh- lighten up, don't take yourself too seriously. Relax a bit, smile and laugh when someone says something funny. People will be a lot more inclined to listen to you if you seem to be a positive person.
2. Keep an open space before your upper torso. E.g.,don't fold your arms, hug your bag, etc.
3. Don't cross your arms or legs –you shouldn't cross your arms as it might make you seem defensive or guarded. This goes for your legs too. Keep your arms and legs open.
4. Have eye contact, but don't stare – If there are several people you are talking to, give them all some eye contact to create a better connection and see if they are listening.
5. Don't be afraid to take up some space – Taking up space by for example sitting or standing with your legs apart a bit signals self-confidence and that you are comfortable in your own skin.
6. Relax your shoulders –Try to relax. Try to loosen up by shaking the shoulders a bit and move them back slightly.
7. Don't slouch, sit up straight – but in a relaxed way, not in a too tense manner.
8. Nod when they are talking – nod once in a while to signal that you are listening.
9. Lean, but not too much – If you want to show that you are interested in what someone is saying, lean toward the person talking.
10. Don't touch your face – it might make you seem nervous and can be distracting for the listeners or the people in the conversation.
11. Keep your head up – Don't keep your eyes on the ground, it might make you seem insecure and a bit lost. Keep your head up straight and your eyes towards the horizon.
12. Slow down a bit – this goes for many things. Walking slower not only makes you seem more calm and confident, it will also make you feel less stressed. If someone addresses you, don't snap your neck in their direction, turn it a bit more slowly instead.
13. Don't fidget and try to avoid, phase out or transform fidgety movement and nervous ticks such as shaking your leg or tapping your fingers against the table rapidly.
14. Mirror – Often when you get along with a person, when the two of you get a good connection, you will start to mirror each other unconsciously. That means that you mirror the other person's body language a bit. To make the connection better you can try a bit of proactive mirroring.
15. Keep a good attitude – last but not least, keep a positive, open and relaxed attitude. How you feel will come through in your body language and can make a major difference.
Exercise time!
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