Learn how to read body language

Want to better understand the nonverbal cues others send you? Here's a guide!

Understanding body language is a skill that comes in handy in many situations - it can help you know what someone really thinks and feels, no matter what they say. People are constantly sending nonverbal signals, but you might miss them because you don't know where to look - here's a guide to reading body language.

It's all in the eyes

They do not just say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. When talking to someone, pay attention to how often he looks you in the eye. If he doesn't look at you, it could mean that that person doesn’t care about you, that they are bored, or that they are lying to you! This is especially true if they look away while talking to you. Also, pay attention to how often the person blinks - if they do that often, they are probably under stress.

Squeezed jaw - stress

It doesn't matter what they tell you, but if the person you are talking to has a clenched jaw, it means that they are uncomfortable and stressed.

Watch the smile

You assume a smile is a sign that someone is happy, right? Well, yes, if we exclude that a smile can be artificial. You will easily recognize if someone's smile is sincere - if not, only the lips laugh, if it is sincere, it somehow changes and illuminates their whole face.

An artificial, fake smile can be a sign of dissatisfaction or sarcasm and there are all chances that a person who laughs like that can hardly wait for the end of the conversation.

Nod

Nodding your head as a positive answer to a question is one thing, and nodding your head almost constantly is another. If a person nods a lot while talking to you, it means that they are anxious.

Physical distance

The distance between two people while talking is also non-verbal speech. The further someone stands or sits next to you during a conversation, the more uncomfortable it means. On the other hand, if someone approaches you, it means that they are comfortable and feel connected to you.

Body position

Body position reveals a lot about a person's feelings. If they are bent over, it means they are either hiding something or not having confidence. If they stand upright and firm, it means they have a lot of self-confidence. And in general, if you see that someone is just sitting in the room, almost as if hiding, they probably don’t want to be noticed.

Raised eyebrows

If you want to know how someone feels, look at their eyebrows. When the person is relaxed and comfortable, their eyebrows will stand in a natural position. In moments of worry or surprise, they will raise their eyebrows.

A copy of your behavior

If the person with whom you spend time starts imitating your behavior - crosses their legs when you do, moves their hair when you do, it means that they are very comfortable with you and unconsciously imitates you.