Honing Your Body Language Skills

Today we are going to go over some great tips that you can use to hone your body language skills and use them to your advantage.

Studying and learning how to understand body language can give you three distinct advantages:

1. The ability to control almost any situation

2. Knowing what others are thinking and intend to say, before they say it.

3. Being able to express yourself without the use of words.

As you well know by now, with body language we can impress other people, detect lying, and even know if somebody is flirting with us.

Today we are going to talk a little more in depth about the different types of gestures that people usually use in certain situations. We are also going to talk about body gestures and movements that you should avoid using so that you don't send out the wrong signals.

Let's start off by talking about how you can use your body language to make a good impression.

For instance, by using your body to send the proper signals you can impress your boss, an interviewer, co-worker, and other people. You can show them that you are confident through your actions, such as handshakes, posture, proper use of eye contact, and hand movements.

Here are some quick tips that you can use to impress:

- When shaking hands, make sure it is firm and that your palm comes in contact with the palm of the other person.

- Make an eye contact for about two to three seconds and smile slightly.

- Maintain a good posture.

- When standing up, refrain from putting your hands in your pockets or crossing your arms.

- When you are sitting down, don't sit near the edge with your back tensely straight. This indicates that you are very nervous. Be careful not slouch. Simply relax into the chair without tightening your back muscles.

To make a good impression you will also maintain eye contact throughout the conversation. This will let the other person that you are interested and attentive to what they are saying.

If you are having a hard time keeping eye contact, the trick is to try and focus on the bridge of the nose of the person to are talking to. Preferably without staring, which will have the opposite effect.

You may use subtle hand movements when talking. This helps give the person you the impression that you really know what you are talking about.

The next time you are trying to impress someone just keep in mind that your confidence and comfort is reflected from your body language. By maintaining good posture, eye contact and using relaxed hand gestures and body movements you will be sure to make a good impression.

Now let's talk about some of the signals you should avoid sending, so that you don't make the wrong impression.

These are negative signs that you should start avoiding when ever you are interacting with somebody:

- Looking at your watch or the closest clock.

- Picking or chewing on your fingernails.

- Crossing your arms or putting your hands in your pockets.

- Holding objects in front of you.

- Stroking your chin, squinting or forcing a smile.

- Placing your hands on your hips.

- Rubbing the nape of your neck.

Slouching, drumming your fingers, tapping your feet, and any other irritating gesture that sends the signal that you have no interest in what the other person has to say. This is a sure way to leave a bad impression and we don't want that!

Body language can truly send signals of emotions and state of mind. You only need to learn how to understand the way that people act in order to determine what is really going on in their minds. That is the art of learning the secrets behind body language.