Non-verbal communication like eyes, head, hands, legs, sitting style, walking style etc. called body language. It is also called Gestural Communication or Kinesics. It truly depicts the inner feeling going in our mind. We can fake our words to conceal our true inner feeling but our body movements convey it. Thus, we should know how to depict a positive body language so that we give impression of a well –developed personality.
We have to work on following areas of body:
Eye contact
Eye contact is the first thing that people look for when they meet us first and good eye contact will give them a feeling of comfort and genuine warmth in your company, Maintaining good eye contact shows respect and interest in what they have to say. And lack of eye- contact signifies inattention and lack of interest.
Posture
Getting your posture right will automatically make you feel more confident. And when you feel good other people pick up on that. When we feel down we slouched over with your shoulders drooping down and inward. This collapses the chest and inhibits good breathing, which in turn can help make you feel nervous or uncomfortable.
Head position
With our head position we convey many things .When we are confident and self-assured we keep our head level both horizontally and vertically, when we project ourselves authoritative our head is in straight position. Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side or the other.
Arms
One of the most interpreted body parts in body – language is arms. It gives away clues as to how open and receptive we are to everyone .We should always keep our arms out to the side of your body or behind your back. It shows openness and ready to receive new ideas. In general terms the more outgoing you are as a person, the more you tend to use your arms with big movements. Crossing your arms is a no, no in meetings or at interview as it can be interpreted as being passive, aggressive or closed to suggestion.
Legs
Legs again convey a lot about our inner feelings as these are farthest point from brain and difficult to control consciously. The way our leg moves convey our state of mind. When we are nervous, stressed or being deceptive our legs tend to move around a lot more than normal. Also the way we cross our legs and where we cross it at the knees or ankles. Crossing of legs shows that the person is defensive. Also on the legs depend the angle of your body in relation to others. It gives an indication of your attitude and feelings towards them. We angle inward toward people we find attractive, friendly and interesting.
Hand gestures
With hands we make numerous gestures and each conveys definitive meaning.
Some are:
Palms slightly up and outward is seen as open and friendly.
Palm down gestures are generally seen as dominant, emphasizing and possibly aggressive. This palm up, palm down is very important when it comes to handshaking and where appropriate we suggest you always offer a handshake upright and vertical, which should convey equality.
Mouth movements
Our mouth movements can give away all sorts of clues about us. The most expressive part of mouth is lips. When we twist them to the side when we're thinking or sometimes we use this movement to hold back an angry comment that we don't wish to reveal. There are also different types of smiles and each gives off a corresponding feeling - A full smile with the lip coming above the teeth shows genuine joy and a smile that does not reach the eyes is NOT a smile but manipulation. A full smile is one of the most positive body gestures.
