Good communication is the foundation of every successful relationship, be it personal or professional. And not all communication is necessarily verbal, most of the time your body speaks way before you can even utter a word. And if used cleverly your body can become a powerful tool that can help you build better relationships. Body language can affect your overall performance, creativity, and the level of stress you experience.
Turns out there are ways we can maximise how much we achieve with our body if we just paid more attention to it and the way it speaks:
1. Flexing muscles boost your willpower and determination
Flexing muscles not only helps you to stay more focused and confident but also increases your ability to resist eating tempting food.
2. Lying down makes you more creative and innovative
You will be surprised to know that lying down helps you be more creative. According to Professor Dr. Darren Lipnicki, “It might be that we have our most creative thoughts while flat on our back”. Lying down leads to creative breakthroughs because while we are standing a chemical called nonadrenaline is released which inhibits our ability to think creatively.
3. Crossing your arms makes you feel determined and persistent
Did you know the defensive stance of crossing your arms makes you stick with problems a lot longer as it increases persistence. This act of tightening can be associated with energizing yourself thus making you perform better during tough times.
4. Standing tall makes you feel more confident
As unbelievable as it might sound, holding your arms out towards the sky, or even standing in the Superman pose, increases your level of confidence dramatically.
5. Smiling reduces stress levels
Negative facial expressions such as frowning and grimacing signal your brain that whatever you are going through is difficult. And if you do just the opposite of it, i.e. smile, you will notice a reduction in your stress levels.
6. Tilting your head forward makes others feel comfortable
Just the simple act of tilting your head forward during conversation helps you in several ways. It not only helps remove any perceived difference in status but also shows your humility and deference towards others.
7. Mimicking other people gives a better understand of their feelings
Research shows that imitating other people’s non-verbal expressions can help you understand their feelings. This happens due to the process of “afferent feedback” which helps reinforce emotional synchrony between individuals.
8. Standing at an angle reduces interpersonal tension
When tensions are high, standing face to face seems like a difficult task. So, to make yourself calm and confident during such a situation, shift your feet slightly to stand or sit at an angle. It reduces any perceived confrontation and thus makes an uncomfortable conversation feel less adversarial.
9. Using your hands improves your memory
You must have seen children using gestures to learn new things; that is how they retain their knowledge. According to a research, “Gesturing can play a causal role in learning, perhaps by giving learners an alternative, embodied way of representing new ideas.”
10. Chewing gum makes you a perkier and happier person
Although perceived as rude, chewing gum makes you more alert and attentive during tough situations. Also, it makes you seem more approachable and even improves your mood. The other benefit of chewing gum is that it helps reduce anxiety.
So there are your clues to take on the world today, incorporate these body language changes and see the positive impact it has on your daily interpersonal interactions.