Is your Body Language contradicting your words? Learning Empowering Body Language can help improve your Life!

Written by Lizzie Learn On 31st Aug 2017

ody language has a profound impact on our lives. We become aware that we actually communicate through two channels: verbal and non-verbal. Non-verbal communication can reinforce or contradict vocalised language. We communicate subconsciously through body language and others interpret our gestures at the subtle level. Since it is instinctive and intuitive, conveying non-verbal signals tends to be an ad-hoc and random process.

However, by consciously regulating your body language, you can harness the inner power of communication and make a positive impact on your confidence, career prospects and personal relationships.

Read for a closer look at the positive benefits of body language:-

• Improved team bonding: Correct body language can help improve confidence and influence others. You will be able to motivate your team to better perform at work and form better relationships with your colleagues, subordinates and bosses. By using appropriate gestures and postures, we can send out the right messages and take proactive action in improving the way in which we communicate. By using confident and open gestures, you can increase engagement and convey approachability and willingness to communicate. Uplifting body language can help you make team members feel valued (light touching, smiling and eye contact), respected and they will feel included. Assured and credible body language helps minimisation or elimination of threatening or intimidating behaviour.
  
  
• Presentation and public speaking skills: You can greatly enhance your presentation and public speaking skills, by incorporating the finer nuances of non-verbal communication, including tone, pitch, stance, gestures and expressions. Your listeners are more likely to listen to you with interest and you can hold their attention for a longer time. Poor body language tends to make the audience disinterested, fidgety and judgmental about the speaker. Positive body language helps you to establish credibility, build connections and develop healthy rapports with people.
  
  
• Changing the Body Language can help change your mood: Empowering body language helps to curb nervousness, negativity and stress. Just as our inner feelings and emotions are expressed through the body, by changing the body language, we can influence our mood and attitudes. For example, if you are nervous before a job interview, winching up a smile and squaring your shoulders will immediately help to improve confidence. Body language especially plays a crucial role in landing the right job. Interviewers are often shrewd observers of what your postures, gestures and expressions say about who you are. Whilst a brilliant resume and an impressive cover letter is great, the wrong body signals can take away from the most incisive technical responses to questions. Appropriate body language and convey confidence, credibility, assurance and interest. Interviewers are more likely to be predisposed towards someone who shows the right attitude.
  
  
• Understanding other people’s needs: Body language is not only about how we are perceived by others – it is equally about how we understand other people’s needs, fears and beliefs. By learning about gestures, expressions and postures, you can identify friend from foe and quickly come to accurate conclusions about the personality and outlook. Sales personnel who are able to read the customer’s body language are more likely to succeed, whilst doctors who read patients body language are more likely to develop empathy with them.
  
  
• Improved parenting: Young children and pets are extremely sensitive to body language and we must control what our bodies convey. Rolling your eyes, crossed arms or a hard stare can easily intimidate a child or a pet and convey defensiveness, anger and aggression. Positive body language is integral to parenting and is more likely to help you become a more loving, compassionate and loving parent.

Body language interpretation in your personal life

Body language interpretation is not restricted only to our professional lives, but is equally applicable to our personal lives.

The ability to understand your children, elders, spouses and other loved ones will improve your relationships to a much greater extent. By understanding what the person is not saying, you are likely to develop a more compassionate, understanding and loving outlook towards the important people in your life.

Most of us can speak words, but our body language and non-verbal communication helps infuse life and meaning into them. By using the right gestures and postures, you can support your verbal message and help the audience to perceive it in the sense that you intended to convey it to them. Positive body language helps convey your passion, confidence and feelings clearly, without ambiguity about your intentions or underhanded motives.

Conscious regulation of body language and discreet observation helps us to connect on multiple levels with others. We are able to identify and eliminate aggressive, threatening, defensive and intimidating gestures, which generally deflate the morale of our team or colleagues.

It is not easy to learn and implement all of the different nuances of body language, but it can be done if practised diligently over a period of time. The ripple effects will impact every sphere of your life and people are more likely to perceive you as approachable, likeable and confident. You will notice that you are starting to attract lasting friendships, develop better relationships with loved ones and making an improved impact in the workplace.