The Art of Body Language
Engaged In Good Conversation?
Ever wonder if the person who you are chatting with is listening, paying attention, and even flirting with you.
Here is how you can read a person’s body language and understand their thought process. Remember, body language is 90% of our communication skills. Noticing the signals of body language is a very useful social skill. Some of us can read it naturally and some of us are notoriously oblivious. Fortunately, with a little extra attentiveness you can learn to read body language, and with enough practice it'll become second nature.
Here are 6 tips…
PAY ATTENTION TO HOW CLOSE SOMEONE IS TO YOU The closer they are, the warmer their opinions are of you. The farther away someone is, the less they actually care of the situation or person. If you move slightly closer to them, do they move slightly further away? That means they don't want your interaction to be any more personal than it already is. If they don't move further away, then they are receptive. If they respond by getting even closer to you, they probably really like you or are very comfortable.
WATCH THEIR HEAD POSITION Overly tilted heads are either a potential sign of sympathy, or they are being playful and maybe even flirting. Lowered heads indicate a reason to hide something. However, if someone lowers their head while receiving a compliment he/she may be shy, ashamed and/or timid. On the other hand, a titled head backward may indicate confusion as to what is being said. This can depend on eye, eyebrow, and mouth gestures.
SEE IF THEY'RE MIRRORING YOU Mirroring is another common gesture. It is commonly seen as a very genuine sign that a person is interested in you and/or trying to establish rapport with you. Not sure if someone is mirroring you, here’s a tip; try changing your body position here and there. If you find that the person changes their position similarly, they are mirroring you.
WATCH THEIR ARMS People who cross their arms are closing themselves to social influences. Though some people just cross their arms as a habit, it may indicate that the person is slightly reserved, or uncomfortable with their appearance. However, if a person’s arms are crossed while their feet are shoulder width apart; this is a position of toughness or authority. If their hands are on their hips, they might be waiting or impatient.
BE AWARE OF NERVOUS GESTURES If someone brushes their hair back with their fingers (a common gesture known as preening), it may indicate they like you. However, doing this with a raised eyebrow can mean they disagree with what is being said. If the person wears glasses, and is constantly pushing them up onto their nose, with a slight frown, that may also indicate they disagree with what you are saying. Look to make sure they push up their glasses with intent, not casually adjusting them.
WATCH THEIR FEET A fast tapping, shifting of weight or movement of the foot will most often mean that the person is impatient, excited, nervous, scared, or intimidated. If the person is sitting, feet crossed at the ankles means they're generally at ease. If while standing, a person seems to always keep their feet very close together, it probably means they are trying to be "proper" in some way. Finally, if they purposely touch their feet to yours, they are flirting.