3 Body Language Techniques You Should Be Using

Meeting new people is often a part of everyday life, especially if you are working or are in public regularly. Many people feel nervous or anxious when speaking in public, during interviews, or just conversing with others. It's imperative to find ways to manage your anxiety in these situations if you want to make it through with confidence. Here are three body language techniques that you should be implementing daily.

 

1. Embrace an Open Posture

 

It would be best if you conveyed a confident body posture when communicating with others. You can do this by ensuring that you are standing up straight but not rigid or too relaxed. Your hands should be by your sides instead of on your hips or crossed in front of you. This is because you must show others that you are open to the conversation about to take place.

 

Often, people can misinterpret what you are trying to convey through the body language you show. Many body postures can tell others that you are either close-minded, controlling, or you do not care about the conversation at all.

 

2. Focus on Maintaining Eye Contact

 

Most people know that keeping eye contact with the person you are talking to is essential to the conversation. Whether you are having a casual conversation with a friend or colleague or during a job interview, it is true. Maintaining eye contact shows the other person that you listen and are open to what they say.

 

A caveat to this technique is a balance between maintaining eye contact and staring a person down. Too much staring can make the discussion awkward and tell the other person that you are trying to control the conversation.

 

3. Use Appropriate Hand Gestures

 

Using hand gestures when conversing with others can communicate either a sense of confidence or nervousness, depending on how you use them. While hand gestures seem to come naturally to many people, others are not adept at using them.

 

It is essential to have a firm handshake that conveys confidence instead of awkwardness. The handshake upon initial meeting can tell a person quite a lot about the other person by the firmness and how long the handshake goes on. Additionally, using gestures throughout the discussion can show others that you are into what you are saying and that you are confident. However, be sure to choose your hand gestures carefully, or you can defeat the purpose of using them.

 

Overall, using these three techniques can help you have more confidence when speaking either in public or with other people during casual conversation or in more professional settings. It is crucial to remember that presenting yourself non-verbally is just as important as what you say.