The way we carry ourselves and the care we take with respecting personal space can have big impacts on how we connect with others and are received by them.
We so often forget what a large role body language plays in our communication—and how its absence on the phone or even on Zoom can skew communication. Thank you for this wonderful, practical guidance.
Great reminder! Even walking into a room with my phone in hand, I realize it sends a message that I'm not fully "open" so I'm learning to turn it off and tuck it in my handbag. I practice this with family members - and my grown children - as well. I want them to know they have my full attention and I'm interested in what they are saying.
Once, when I was a teenager, my girlfriend pointed out to me that she could tell I was stressed. I asked her how she knew, and she told me that I was putting my finger on my lip. I learnt from her that this is a stress-relief thing humans do, and I avoid doing it if I don't want to give off that impression. I would assume that kisses are comforting for the same reason: pressure on the lips, which causes stress relief.
A few tricks I've learnt in body language:
— Keep a chest-to-chest stance. Don't just look at the person, but stand directly parallel to them.
— Avoid pointing your feet away, as that signals that you want to leave.
— Avoid boxing someone into a corner; always give space for the person to exit. This is a natural safety instinct, and it especially applies to men speaking to women.
— Try looking at one eye rather than both at once. Switching between the two helps, but if this doesn't come naturally, don't overthink it.
We so often forget what a large role body language plays in our communication—and how its absence on the phone or even on Zoom can skew communication. Thank you for this wonderful, practical guidance.
Great reminder! Even walking into a room with my phone in hand, I realize it sends a message that I'm not fully "open" so I'm learning to turn it off and tuck it in my handbag. I practice this with family members - and my grown children - as well. I want them to know they have my full attention and I'm interested in what they are saying.
Once, when I was a teenager, my girlfriend pointed out to me that she could tell I was stressed. I asked her how she knew, and she told me that I was putting my finger on my lip. I learnt from her that this is a stress-relief thing humans do, and I avoid doing it if I don't want to give off that impression. I would assume that kisses are comforting for the same reason: pressure on the lips, which causes stress relief.
A few tricks I've learnt in body language:
— Keep a chest-to-chest stance. Don't just look at the person, but stand directly parallel to them.
— Avoid pointing your feet away, as that signals that you want to leave.
— Avoid boxing someone into a corner; always give space for the person to exit. This is a natural safety instinct, and it especially applies to men speaking to women.
— Try looking at one eye rather than both at once. Switching between the two helps, but if this doesn't come naturally, don't overthink it.
How interesting that you compare kissing to a finger on one's lip. I definitely see the comfort correlation of each! Thank you for this perspective.
You're welcome! Thank you for the kind reply.