During everyday conversations you have to be careful of your body language, because there are body signals that give you away. The way you move and your facial expressions can give your attitude away to the person you are communicating with, letting them know how you feel about them or the conversation you guys are having. Hand and body gestures can help express feelings just as much as verbally telling someone how you feel, so if you want to avoid giving off certain signs, then avoid some of these body signals that give you away.
Usually when I am nervous, or anxious, my leg will shake, which gives away exactly how I feel to who I’m conversing with; this shaky leg is definitely one of the body signals that give you away! This is common among many people as a sign of nervousness, so people know what this particular body signal means. When interviewing, or talking to someone you wouldn’t want to know that you are nervous, you should try and avoid shaking your leg because this is one of the body signals that will give you away. If you find that it is uncontrollable, try to find a tactic that will calm you down and make you more comfortable in that situation.
Crossing your arms is more discreet than shaking your leg, but it also says a lot about how you’re feeling. It may say that a person does not want to open up and express themselves because they are shy. It could also just say that you are not interested, or do not care about the topic being discussed. Be careful when crossing your arms because it could come off to the other person as rude or disrespectful. Avoid this body signal if you can.
Rolling my eyes has gotten me in trouble with my parents a couple of times when I was younger, because it is a sign of disrespect. It says to the other person, "I don’t care about what you’re saying," and as a result it shows that you also have a bad attitude. This is more common among teenagers who are annoyed by everyone and everything, but it is still rude and gives away your non-caring attitude. Try not to roll your eyes because you could hurt someone’s feelings and be labeled as someone who has a bad attitude.
Holding your hands on your hips is definitely a sign that you are impatient or fed up. I absolutely hate waiting in long lines, and when I’m tired of standing there I blow my breath and throw my hands on my hips. I’m impatient and now everyone knows that I am impatient because of the body signals I just used. Signals like these are contagious and evoke the same feelings in others, because most of the time they are feeling the same way you are about having to stand in a long line. Spreading negative vibes is never alright, so this would be a good body signal to avoid.
Biting your lip can have two different meanings. It can mean that you are nervous or that you are attracted to the person you’re conversing with. I have a friend who literally bites the skin off of her lip when she gets nervous, but I think it is seen more as a sign of attraction. Thanks to movies, and novels, the lip bite has become a promiscuous body sign we use when we have the hots for someone. Don’t bite your lip while conversing or you might attract the unattractive!
Another clear sign of nervousness is moving around constantly. I am also guilty of doing this, but only when I’m around someone that I like. If you do the same you will find yourself sitting then standing, sitting again and then standing to move to another area, or to do something. More than anything I think this kind of body language gives you away, but also makes the other person nervous as well.
This can show that you are not interested in the conversation or the person you are having it with. Whether you are looking down at your hands or phone, you are not giving your full attention to the matter being discussed, which shows a lack of interest. Even if you are not interested, try and keep eye contact to show that you are listening. This is a really common body signal associated with boredom, so avoid looking down when conversing.
Knowing common body signals that could give away how you’re really feeling, can help you avoid them. It is always important to show your interest, even if you are bored and it’s important to remain calm, even if you are nervous. It may be hard to avoid body signals because they go hand-in-hand with talking and come natural to us, but we can break those habits. What body signals give you away?