6 Tips to Improve Body Language

Many people are unaware that 93% of all communication is non-verbal. If you believe that nobody will notice you on your phone or care about your hands in your pockets, think again. Even the slightest cues can significantly impact your body language. If you are struggling to convey confidence and a polished image, here are six tips to improve your body language.

1. Make Eye Contact

First off, make eye contact. Now it may sound a little daring but you know what they say, “ The eyes never lie, chico.” If you’re looking at your surroundings or using your phone during a conversation, the person before you might get the impression that you’re not interested in the conversation and you don’t want that.

So, don’t be afraid. However, you might not want to stare into their soul or come off as a psychopath. To avoid that, make sure you don’t bear a serious look. Instead, smile. No one’s asking you to have all your teeth out but a light smile can play a huge role in making you look warm and welcoming.

Not to mention, smiling helps release all the good-feel hormones like endorphins and serotonin. And it’s contagious.

What’s more, if you struggle with maintaining eye contact, you can try looking at a spot close to the person’s eyes. Additionally, according to research, you only need to maintain eye contact for 60% of the conversation. Remember you want the conversation to flow as naturally as possible. So feel free to look away from time to time.

In case you’re talking to a group of people, don’t stare at one person. Maintain eye contact with everyone, one by one. Doing so will make every person feel seen.

2. Don’t forget your Hands.

Next, don’t forget about your hands. Don’t make the mistake of stuffing them in your pockets unless it’s freezing cold and you forgot your mittens. You’ll come off as uninterested. Instead, keep them outside and make relevant hand gestures during the conversation. Studies show that 60 percent of the most celebrated Ted Talkers tend to use twice as many hand gestures compared to those with a low appreciation score.

Now, you don’t want to come off as crazy so no exaggerated hand movements. Instead, keep it balanced. Don’t touch your face and neck or play with your thumbs since it hints at insecurity. According to studies, keeping your palms facing up, indicates submissiveness. Meanwhile, keeping your palms facing down hints at dominance.

So make sure you’re conscious of the position of your hands.

3. Stop Fidgeting

If you have a habit of bouncing your leg, or playing with your pen during a conversation, stop. Fidgeting is one of the key signs of nervousness. The person before you might think you have something else on your mind or that you’re not interested. It also draws away attention from what you’re trying to say. You don’t want to look like you just downed two cups of coffee.

Instead, take a breather. Slow down your movements. However, this can be tricky if you suffer from anxiety but give it time and you will find your flow soon enough. That said, studies have proven that slow movements combined with a lazy posture and poor eye contact indicate sadness. So what should you do? Sit up straight, relax yourself and maintain eye contact. Remember the other person is probably just as nervous as you. So there’s no need to feel on edge.

Also, if you have a habit of talking too fast, don’t. Give your audience a chance to digest your words. It commands respect.

4. Mirror the Other Person

Next, mirror the person you’re talking to. Studies have proven that mirroring someone’s body language leaves a positive impact on the person. People tend to copy others subconsciously. This is called the chameleon effect.

If the person before you is sitting up straight, do the same. Notice where they place their hands. Same goes for facial expressions. You know the saying, “Monkey see, Monkey do.” Don’t worry about offending the other person with your actions. According to studies, mimicking someone’s non-verbal cues creates a feeling of trust, allowing a person to feel closer to you.

Just don’t try to copy everything they do. Remember you want to maintain a balance of everything so the conversation doesn’t seem forced.

5. Correct Your Posture.

Posture plays an important role in your overall body language as well. Don’t stand too close to the person you’re talking to. You might want to do it to appear interested in the conversation. But you’ll only come off as creepy and make the other person uncomfortable.

Instead, the general rule is to keep a distance of one handshake between you and the other person. That’s about two to three feet. What you can do is lean towards the person you’re talking to since it gives off an image of an engaged listener.

On the other hand, if you’re slouching or swinging around in your chair, you will come off as lazy and unprofessional. So, make sure you are sitting upright with your body facing the person you’re talking to. Make sure your ears are in line with the top of your shoulder and your shoulders are in line with the hip and the ankle bone.

In case you have to stand before a group of people, make sure you are turned slightly to the left or right with your eyes on the people before you. It’s a non-confrontational style to make you look more inviting. Practice will help your brain establish the necessary connections to your musculoskeletal system so you can have the perfect posture without thinking about it.

6. Notice The Direction Of Your Feet

Lastly, you want to point your feet toward the person you’re talking to. Now, most people don’t think of the importance of positioning their feet during a conversation. But, let’s say, you have your feet facing away from the person you’re talking to. It might give the impression that you’re looking to leave or have somewhere else to be.

According to Carol Kinsey Goman, “ When most people think about improving their body language, they focus primarily on facial expressions, posture and hand gestures. Because feet go unrehearsed, they often tell more than you realize.”

Say, you’re shifting your weight from foot to foot or have them crossed, you’ll likely come across as insecure. The solution? Uncross your feet, adopt a wide stance, and point your feet to the person you’re talking to. In case you’re on the stage addressing a large group of people, walk around as you deliver your presentation. And when you have an important point to make, freeze. It’ll create a sense of authority around you.

Remember you want to make a person feel heard while coming off as confident. And the trick to doing that is adjusting your body language. From making eye contact to positioning your feet the right way, the tiniest of details matter. So, make sure to follow these six tips and you will be golden.

It might take a while for you to use these tips naturally in your everyday life. But remember practice makes perfect.

Until next time.