How to Communicate with Body Language

In a fast-paced, technological world, making great first impressions is more important than ever for building professional and personal relationships. By paying attention to your body language, you can stand out in a crowd and send the right message without saying a word.

Instructions

1. Pay attention to your everyday body language. Practice different expressions at home in front of a mirror to get a feel for what looks normal and what looks fake. You might need to exaggerate some aspects of your body language if you tend to be reserved, or tone down your body language if you are naturally expressive. The goal of communicating with body language is to control the message you send out--just like you measure your spoken words.

2. Use your eyes. Eyes express a huge range of emotions, many of them instinctual, such as fear or surprise. A steady gaze suggests confidence but also leaves you open to showing impulsive emotions, so try out your "poker face" at home first. Looking away seems distracted or deceitful, while staring can come off as aggressive. Play with your eyes in the mirror and try out different gazes.

3. Take a stance. The way you stand says a lot about you and your feelings toward the people around you. Leaning in shows interest just as leaning away suggests distance. Crossing your arms and legs can make you come across as closed off, whereas an open position says you are receptive to the conversation. Even standing or sitting, especially sitting higher or lower than another person, tells a lot about your authority in the situation. Experiment with different postures to send different messages.

4. Watch out for your hands. If you move your hands a lot, you're giving off messages all the time through your body language. Fidgeting tells people you are nervous, bored or distracted. Big gestures show off your drama, but touching your face while you're speaking hints that you might be lying. Take control of your gestures and your physical movements and start communicating exactly what you want to express through your body language.