Body Language

Understanding non-verbal
communication
Attraction, Truth, Confidence and Shyness.
It's often said that actions speak louder than words —
and this rings especially true when it comes to body
language. As a non-verbal form of communication,
body language can be a powerful tool, as you can use
it to put people at ease.
Qualities
Eye contact
Smiling
Attention span
Head shaking or nodding
Touching
Arms folded/legs crossed
Standing with hands on hips
Handshakes
Sitting with legs crossed/legs apart
Qualities
Touching the nose
Rubbing hands
Open palm
Tapping fingers
Playing with hair
Tilted head
Leaning forward
Biting nails
Pacing the floor
Interpreting body language …
Eye contact
A failure to look someone in the eyes or rapidly shifting
eye movements can often be interpreted as trying to hide
something or lying. It can also be a sign of shyness or lack
of confidence.
Smiling
Smiling can demonstrate confidence, friendliness, and a
positive attitude, and also gives the impression that you’re
someone that people would want to be around. On the
other hand, a ‘nervous’ or ‘false’ smile can demonstrate the
opposite.
Attention span
Often you can tell what a person is like by noticing their
attention span.

For example, if someone quickly loses focus and clearly is

not listening then this makes them appear disinterested,
bored, and possibly even uncaring whereas a longer
attention span is likely to indicate more interest.
Head shaking or nodding
Frequently, without realising they are doing it, people nod
or shake their head to signal whether they are in agreement
or not. You can give your approval to someone just with a
nod of the head, and your disapproval either by not
nodding or by shaking your head.
Touching
Touching another person during social interaction, if done
appropriately, can convey a strong message to them.

For example, it can be used in a flirtatious manner to show

romantic interest, or can simply be a way of calming or
reassuring someone.
Arms folded/legs crossed
This can be seen as a defensive posture or can signal that
the conversation is at an end as far as that person is
concerned. Sitting tightly folded up indicates that you are
closed to communication, as your crossed limbs effectively
form a physical barrier to keep other people away from
you.
Standing with hands on hips
This demonstrates a readiness to act in a situation, or can
even indicate aggression. It is not the most welcoming of
gestures and you may often see it displayed by teenagers
wishing to show their defiance.
Handshakes
You can tell a lot from a handshake. A firm handshake is
usually given by a person who is confident of themselves,
while a limp handshake is usually given by nervous, shy, or
insecure people. Also, watch out for the ‘hand crusher’
given by someone trying to intimidate you!
Sitting with legs crossed/legs apart
People frequently sit with their legs crossed, often with one
or both feet kicking slightly, and this can be seen as a sign of
boredom or impatience. Sitting in a position with your legs
apart shows that you’re more relaxed and open.
Touching the nose
Touching or rubbing your nose can often be seen as a sign
of doubt or a signal that you’re lying. Pinching the bridge
of your nose, which you’ll often do with your eyes closed,
can often be seen as a negative response to something you
have just done for another person.
Rubbing hands
We’re all familiar with the old ‘rubbing the hands in
anticipation’ thing. It’s usually something that we tend to
do when we’re awaiting the arrival of something that we
are really looking forward to!
Open palm
An open palm gesture is often one of sincerity, openness,
or innocence.

 For example, if you truthfully say ‘It wasn’t me’ or ‘I

haven’t done anything’, you’ll probably also use an open
palm gesture.
Tapping fingers
Tapping or drumming fingers on a surface such as a table or
desk is a sure-fire way of letting someone know you are
bored. It displays a degree of impatience in a given
situation, and is often our way of telling someone else to
get a move on!
Playing with hair
Patting or fondling hair often indicates insecurity or a lack
of self-confidence. Certainly, people who are nervous will
frequently do it. Try watching an interview with a young
sportsperson who is new to being interviewed, and you’ll
see what we mean.
Tilted head
When a person tilts their head to one side, it’s often
because they’re interested in something. We probably most
commonly notice it with dogs, which quite clearly tilt their
head when something takes their interest — but we do it to
a lesser degree too.
Leaning forward
When you lean forward — either when you’re sitting
down or standing up — you are indicating that you’re
interested in something. In other words, an interested
listener leans toward the speaker. Conversely, leaning away
is a clear sign of disinterest.
Biting nails
Biting your nails is invariably an indication of nervousness
or insecurity. People often refer to ‘nail-biting moments’
when watching sports matches or films — in other words,
moments that are very tense and cause viewers to be
nervous.
Pacing the floor
Nervousness can also be displayed by someone’s inability to
stay still. A person can be up and down and pacing about,
and many of us will interpret this as them being nervous or
tense.

For example, if you see someone waiting for an impending

birth, don’t be surprised to see them wearing out their shoe
leather!
Interpreting body language …
 Although some behaviour and gestures have clear-cut meanings,
reading people’s body language is not always an exact science because
some actions can have multiple meanings.

 For example, if you fold your arms it doesn’t necessarily mean you are
being defensive — you could just be physically cold!

Our advice is not to get in to a habit of scrutinising your and everyone

else’s movements and gestures for hidden meaning. However, if a
person uses several behaviours or gestures at the same time (such as
biting their nails and pacing) that have the same common
interpretation (nervousness), then this is a good indicator of how they
are feeling at a given time.
Thank You

vinod Kumar MK