Change your body language by Tiago Cabral

We laugh, we chat, we sit, we walk, and we cross our legs, all without realizing the information about ourselves we are giving away to our observers. People watching is fascinating and even better than watching TV for some of us. There is so much to learn about us all, if you pay close attention.  You can tell by the way a person walks, smiles or sits, what type of person they are.

Gestures, sighs, tone of voice, and facial expressions give us plenty of feedback about how the other person is feeling and, with that, we can better understand and communicate with them. Unfortunately, the most important cues about people’s personality are lost in the digital world.

Change your body language for a better future

We misinterpret and miscommunicate a lot, since we lack the vocal inflection and body language cues when we speak electronically. Many business relationships thrive through communicating digitally, as emotion is virtually removed from conversation and it becomes “all business all the time.” Personally, exclusively communicated electronically can be tough but shy and insecure individuals may favor this type of communication as body language and vocal intonational would have been telltale if they were to interact face to face.

When I was 15 years-old, I was shy beyond belief. I sat in corners of rooms making myself small, curling my shoulders in, leaning over and crossing my arms around my waist. I probably looked like a little ball. Being picked in class to answer a question aloud was grueling because, besides going blank and looking stupid, I stuttered and turned red with embarrassment.

I missed plenty of opportunities in life due to not showing up at interviews or events for fear of how on earth I could handle myself without coming off as impossibly insecure. Shyness and insecurity through body language can rule and ruin opportunities in life. Fortunately, as I grew older and overcame most of my shyness and insecurities, I started to stand tall, sit relaxed and no longer crossed my arms around my waist. I could easily go back to that point but now, when catch myself becoming small, I change my body language! I grow, sit tall and change my posture which, in turn, changes my attitude and keeps me confident and strong.

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