{"id":96,"date":"2008-12-15T09:15:43","date_gmt":"2008-12-14T22:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mrpitcher.wordpress.com\/?p=96"},"modified":"2008-12-15T09:15:43","modified_gmt":"2008-12-14T22:15:43","slug":"18-ways-to-improve-your-body-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.razchorev.com\/newme\/18-ways-to-improve-your-body-language\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Ways to improve your body Language"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"December<\/a><\/dt>\n
Image by Atli Har\u00f0arson<\/a> via Flickr<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/strong>1. Don\u2019t cross your arms or legs \u2013<\/strong> You have probably already heard you shouldn\u2019t cross your arms as it might make you seem defensive or guarded. This goes for your legs too. Keep your arms and legs open.<\/p>\n

2. Have eye contact, but don\u2019t stare \u2013<\/strong> If there are several people you are talking to, give them all some eye contact to create a better connection and see if they are listening. Keeping too much eye-contact might creep people out. Giving no eye-contact might make you seem insecure.<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t be afraid to take up some space \u2013 <\/strong>Taking up space by for example sitting or standing with your legs apart a bit signals self-confidence and that you are comfortable in your own skin.<\/p>\n

4. Relax your shoulders \u2013<\/strong> When you feel tense it\u2019s easily winds up as tension in your shoulders. They might move up and forward a bit. Try to relax. Try to loosen up by shaking the shoulders a bit and move them back slightly.<\/p>\n

5. Nod when they are talking <\/strong>\u2013 nod once in a while to signal that you are listening. But don\u2019t overdo it and peck like Woody Woodpecker.<\/p>\n

6. Don\u2019t slouch, sit up straight <\/strong>\u2013 but in a relaxed way, not in a too tense manner.<\/p>\n

7. Lean, but not too much \u2013<\/strong> If you want to show that you are interested in what someone is saying, lean toward the person talking. If you want to show that you\u2019re confident in yourself and relaxed lean back a bit. But don\u2019t lean in too much or you might seem needy and desperate for some approval. Or lean back too much or you might seem arrogant and distant.<\/p>\n

8. Smile and laugh <\/strong>\u2013 lighten up, don\u2019t take yourself too seriously. Relax a bit, smile and laugh when someone says something funny. People will be a lot more inclined to listen<\/a> to you if you seem to be a positive person. But don\u2019t be the first to laugh at your own jokes, it makes you seem nervous and needy. Smile when you are introduced to someone but don\u2019t keep a smile plastered on your face, you\u2019ll seem insincere.<\/p>\n

9. Don\u2019t touch your face <\/strong>\u2013 it might make you seem nervous and can be distracting for the listeners or the people in the conversation.<\/p>\n

10. Keep you head up <\/strong>– Don\u2019t keep your eyes on the ground, it might make you seem insecure and a bit lost. Keep your head up straight and your eyes towards the horizon.<\/p>\n

11. Slow down a bit <\/strong>\u2013 this goes for many things. Walking slower not only makes you seem more calm and confident, it will also make you feel less stressed. If someone addresses you, don\u2019t snap you\u2019re neck in their direction, turn it a bit more slowly instead.<\/p>\n

12. Don\u2019t fidget \u2013<\/strong> try to avoid, phase out or transform fidgety movement and nervous ticks such as shaking your leg or tapping your fingers against the table rapidly. You\u2019ll seem nervous and fidgeting can be a distracting when you try to get something across.<\/p>\n

13. Use your hands more confidently<\/strong> \u2013 instead of fidgeting with your hands and scratching your face use them to communicate what you are trying to say. Use your hands to describe something or to add weight to a point you are trying to make.<\/p>\n

14. Lower your drink <\/strong>\u2013 don\u2019t hold your drink in front of your chest. In fact, don\u2019t hold anything in front of your heart as it will make you seem guarded and distant. Lower it and hold it beside your leg instead.<\/p>\n

15. Realise where you spine ends<\/strong> \u2013 many people (including me until recently) might sit or stand with a straight back in a good posture. However, they might think that the spine ends where the neck begins and therefore crane the neck forward in a Montgomery Burns-pose<\/p>\n

16. Don\u2019t stand too close <\/strong>\u2013one of the things we learned from Seinfeld<\/a> is that everybody gets weirded out by a close-talker. Let people have their personal space<\/a>, don\u2019t invade it.<\/p>\n

17. Mirror – <\/strong>Often when you get along with a person, when the two of you get a good connection, you will start to mirror each other unconsciously. That means that you mirror the other person\u2019s body language a bit. To make the connection better you can try a bit of proactive mirroring.<\/p>\n

18. Keep a good attitude <\/strong>\u2013 last but not least, keep a positive, open and relaxed attitude. How you feel will come through in your body language and can make a major difference. For information on how make yourself feel better read 10 ways to change how you feel and for relaxation try A very simple way to feel relaxed for 24 hours.<\/p>\n

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For more inspiration and useful tips, register and come to the Time To RE:THINK<\/a> event!<\/p>\n

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