How to Read Body Language

It is often said that in face-to-face and even body-to-body communications , the words we speak actually
account for less than 10% of the message that we convey, while body language accounts for more than half
of our message. It's simple to start using body language to improve your day-to-day interactions
and improve your quality of life . After all, efective communication is a crucial factor in any close
relationship.
Noticing the signals that people send out with their body language is a very useful social skill. Some of us
can read it naturally and some of us are notoriously oblivious. Fortunately, with a little extra attentiveness,
you can learn to read body language, and with enough practice it can become second nature.
Steps
1 Pay attention to how physically close someone is to you. The closer they are, the warmer
they are thinking of you. If you move slightly closer to them and they move even closer to you, they
probably really like you or are very comfortable around/by you. But this could also mean that they
have a special comfort with you. A strong friendship or they consider you a member of their family.
It is worth noting that personal space is culturally fuid; keep in mind that what is considered
close in one country is far away in another.
2Watch their head position.
Overly tilted heads are either a potential sign of sympathy, or if a person smiles while tilting their
head, they are being playful and maybe even firting.
Lowered heads indicate a reason to hide something. Take note if someone lowers their head. If it is
when he is complimented, he may be shy, ashamed, timid, keeping distance from the other person, in
disbelief, or thinking to himself or herself. If it is after an explanation, then he may be unsure if what he said
was correct, or could be refecting.
It should be noted that some cultures see this as a sign of respect.
Tilted heads mean that they are confused or challenging you, depending on their eye, eyebrow, and
mouth gestures. Think of how a dog slightly tilts its head when you make a funny noise.
3 Look into their eyes .
People who look to the sides a lot are nervous, lying, or distracted. However, if a person looks away
from the speaker, it very well could be a comfort display or indicate submissiveness. Looking askance
generally means the person is distrustful or unconvinced.
If someone looks down at the foor a lot, they are probably shy or timid. People also tend to look
down when they are upset, or trying to hide something emotional. People are often thinking and feeling
unpleasant emotions when they are in the process of staring at the ground.
Some cultures believe that looking at someone in the eyes is a sign of disrespect, or is only done
with intimate friends or family, so this could explain why someone is avoiding eye contact with you.
Dilated pupils mean that the person is interested. Keep in mind, however, that many substances
cause pupils to dilate, including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, LSD and others. Don't mistake
having a few drinks for attraction.
If their eyes seem focused far away, that usually indicates that a person is in deep thought or not
listening.
4.See if they're mirroring you. If someone mimics your body language this is a very genuine sign that
they are trying to establish rapport with you. Try changing your body position here and there. If you fnd that
they change theirs similarly, they are mirroring.
5 Check their arms.
People with crossed arms are closing themselves to social infuence. Though some people just
cross their arms as a habit, it may indicate that the person is (slightly) reserved, uncomfortable with their
appearance (self-conscious and trying to cover it), or just trying to hide something on their shirt. If their
arms are crossed while their feet are shoulder width or wider apart, this is a position of toughness or
authority.
Also be aware of their surroundings. If it's cold, or it might seem cold to them, they're probably just
trying to stay warm.
If they are rubbing their hands together or somehow touching their own body, they might be
comforting themselves (which means they aren't enjoying the current situation).
If someone rests their arms behind their neck or head, they are open to what is being discussed or
just laid back in general.
If their hands are on their hips, they might be waiting, impatient or just tired.
If their hands are closed or clenched, they may be irritated, angry, or nervous.
6Be aware of nervous gestures:
If someone brushes their hair back with their fngers, this may be preening, a common
gesture if the person likes you, or their thoughts about something confict with yours. They might not voice
this. If you see raised eyebrows during this time, you can be pretty sure that they disagree with you.
If the person wears glasses, and is constantly pushing them up onto their nose again, with a
slight frown, that may also indicate they disagree with what you are saying. Look to make sure they push up
their glasses with an intent, not casually adjusting them. Look for pushing on the rim with two fngers, or an
extra motion of wiggling the side of their glasses. The frown or raised eyebrows should tip you of. (Note: A
frown may also indicate eyestrain, and constant re-adjusting of glasses could be the result of an improper
ft. The distinguishing feature is whether they are looking directly at you while doing it.)
Lowered eyebrows and squinted eyes illustrate an attempt at understanding what is being
said or going on. It's usually skeptical. This is presuming they are not trying to observe something that's far
away.
7 Watch their feet:
A fast tapping, shifting of weight, laughing, or movement of the foot will most often mean that the
person is impatient, excited, nervous, scared, or intimidated.
The meaning of feet tapping can usually be discerned depending on the context; if you are
currently talking and they are tapping their feet, that is an indication of a desire to leave (though usually this
behavior manifests when the person is anxious to get somewhere specifc, such as a meeting, rather than
because of what you're doing specifcally). Slow shufing indicates boredom with the current situation. If
during firtation your legs/feet touch, tapping can generally be interpreted as nervous excitement. This is
because if they were uncomfortable, they would discreetly move away from the contact, a much more subtle
escape than indirectly trying to tell you to move away.
Note though that some people with ADHD will constantly jiggle their legs. It doesn't mean
anything, it's entirely subconscious and, while eccentric, it is difcult to stop. Some people also do it out of
habit.
If the person is sitting, feet crossed at the ankles means they're generally at ease.
If while standing, a person seems to always keep their feet very close together, it probably means
they are trying to be "proper" in some way. Sometimes feet together means that they are feeling more
submissive or passive.
If they purposely touch their feet to yours, they are firting!
Some people may point their feet to the direction of where they want to go or sometimes their
interest. So if it's pointing at you, he/she may be interested in you.
8Touching one's face signals anxiety.
Improve your posture. If you're constantly hunched over or touching your face, you'll never
look confdent, approachable or at ease. Improving your posture and working to eliminate nervous tics
can be difcult and will take time, but you'll quickly improve your overall non-verbal communication.