Dear Jacquelyn,

Does body language really influence how others see us?

Dear Reader,

Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you’re continuously giving and receiving wordless signals.

All of your nonverbal behaviors, the gestures you make, your posture, and how much eye contact you make send strong messages. They can put people at ease or they can confuse and undermine what you’re trying to convey.

These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating non-verbally. Everyone, including your friends and colleagues, forms an opinion about you based on what they see on the surface. Interpretations can vary, depending on people’s particular filters.

The way you move and carry yourself communicates a wealth of information to the people you encounter. These cues tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you are being truthful, and how well you’re listening.

It’s important to keep in mind that our body language is the unspoken part of communication that we use to reveal our true feelings and to give our message more impact. It’s important to become more sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal signals of others, but also to your own. With that in mind, there are different types of nonverbal communication cues to pay attention to; most importantly, facial expression.

Facial expressions are able to convey countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger and fear are the same across cultures.

Improving how you understand and use nonverbal communication, you can express what you really mean, and connect better with others.

Respectfully,

Jacquelyn

Have a question? Email: jacquelyn@ptd.net. Jacquelyn Youst is owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol, specializing in etiquette training.

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&Copy;2023 Jacquelyn Youst