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Watch out for those signals
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Body language speaks louder than words
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The way you hold yourself conveys your level of self-confidence.
WE TEND to form impressions of people right from the moment we set eyes on them. The initial impression is influenced not only by one's appearance and grooming, but also from a person's body language. Body language occurs unconsciously, speaking volumes because it expresses feelings.
We interpret body language all the time at a subconscious level. As a result, we tend to doubt the spoken words if they do not correspond with the language of the body. Our posture, facial expression, eye contact, and gestures speak louder than the words we speak.
Face
The face is the most expressive part of the body. If you are feeling anxious, then your facial expression may lead you to appear aloof, disapproving, or disinterested. You can break this misrepresentation by making a conscious effort to smile. Your smile is one of the strongest tools you have in meeting new people. A smile that lights up your face will make you appear warm, open, friendly and confident; on the other hand, a tight-lipped or a lopsided smile that doesn't touch your eyes does not fool anyone! Control your mouth movements as too much of it usually means the person is extremely self-conscious.
Head
Head position is also important. When you want to feel or give the impression of being confident and self-assured, keep your head up. Use the straight head position to communicate authority and when you want what you're saying to be taken seriously.
Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side.
Eyes
Our eyes give clues to our emotions. A direct stare implies intensity — could be anything from a romantic interest, to aggression, to fear depending on the situation. Making very little eye contact can either convey shyness, discomfort, or submissiveness. The middle ground of maintaining a good eye contact shows that you are interested, secure, and at ease.
Arms
Our arms give away clues as to how open and receptive we are to everyone we meet and interact with. Open gestures tend to make you appear open and honest. So keep your arms out to the side of your body and not crossed in front of you or deep within your pocket or behind your back. In general terms, the more outgoing you are as a person, the more relaxed you are in using your arms. But don't use them as a windmill because making too many gestures can make you appear uncontrolled and nervous. Used in moderation, hand gestures can make you seem enthusiastic and committed to your topic. Wringing your hands, fidgeting with your clothes, constant touching of your hair, ear lobes, face, etc., can make you appear tense, nervous, and sometimes dishonest.
Posture
Posture is the next thing to master. The way you hold yourself conveys your self-confidence. We tend to hunch our shoulders to make ourselves small, and keep our heads down when our self-confidence is at a low level. A relaxed body posture will help you appear and feel confident. The angle of your body gives signals about your interest in something, your openness, and attentiveness. We tend to orient our body towards people we find attractive, friendly and interesting, and angle ourselves away from those we don't, it's that simple! Your posture also is a dead give away as to your status within a group.
Legs
Legs are the hardest parts of our bodies to consciously control. They tend move around a lot more than normal when we are nervous, stressed, or being deceptive. The best is to keep them as still as possible in most situations, especially at interviews, or work meetings. Be careful too in the way you cross your legs.
It is important to remember that body language has different meanings depending on the situation, culture, relationship we have with the person, as well as the gender of the other. If you do not take this into account, you may misinterpret what you see! Best thing is, listen to your intuition. It has been your aide all along; all that you have to do is to observe and become aware.
CHITRA DANGER
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