10 Common Body Language Mistakes That Can Harm Your Social Life
Expertise: Beauty, Health, & Wellness
Experience: 2 years
Indrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
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We get it, you can’t please everyone you meet every day, and you don’t need to do that either! But you also need to make sure you don’t gather enemies unnecessarily because of your behavior. Sometimes even not doing something consciously can make people ignore you. For example, would you be drawn to a person with a frown and crossed arms, or would you be more attracted to someone who smiles and maintains eye contact with you? It’s simple, isn’t it? Here in this article are some body language mistakes you need to avoid to maintain a healthy social life. Read on!
1. Slouching
The anxiety of being seen might manifest physically as slouching. Hunching over, both physically and psychologically, might be a subconscious attempt at self-defense. However slouching doesn’t give a good impression to the people around you. Make sure you improve your posture for both your social life and your health.
2. Restlessness
If you tend to fidget a lot, put yourself in the shoes of your partner to see how your movements could appear to them. People may misinterpret your fidgeting as a sign of boredom and think you’re not paying attention to what they’re saying. Also, you can give off an edgy or tense vibe. In addition, others may need help paying attention to the talk if you keep moving around and tapping your foot the whole time. Attempt to keep your body still and not fidget with your feet, knees, hair, or face/neck all a while.
3. Lack Of Eye Contact
Making the right amount of eye contact can make you appear confident and trustworthy. The act of looking down suggests a lack of confidence and hesitation. Instead, stare at the other person directly when you talk to them. If you are conversing with a group or delivering a lecture in front of a large audience, it is essential to make eye contact with each individual in turn. You shouldn’t stare at someone for too long, though. You might come out as unpleasant or confrontational. It’s preferable to avoid prolonged eye contact. Most importantly, do not lose track of time! A dependable and confident person is someone who makes good eye contact.
4. Crossed Arms Or Legs
When you cross your arms, it might be a subconscious attempt to shut out the other person. When your hands are folded this way, you don’t want to talk to people and could even be aggressive. The same may be said about crossing one’s legs. Give the appearance of being more approachable by letting your body loosen up. Relax your hands on the desk or the chair’s armrests. If others can see your legs, avoid sitting cross-legged. In doing so, you will demonstrate your sociability and willingness to engage in dialogue.
5. Methods Of Self Relaxation
To relax, our bodies may engage in various automatic behaviors. Some people find it comforting to place their feet between the chair’s legs. Certain people fix their garments or run their hands down their thighs. Even if it helps you unwind, self-soothing could be more appealing. As a result, you can come out as feeble and insecure. Self-soothing behaviors can be eliminated by identifying the sources of discomfort and working to alleviate them.
6. Sitting At The Edge Of One’s Seat
Sitting on the seat of a chair makes you feel uneasy and gives the impression that you lack confidence. Instead, keep your back straight and lean back to relax. This will convey to others that you are confident in yourself.
7. Always Checking The Phone
There is no need to keep checking the time or your phone during talks or meetings. They will feel you’re ignoring them in favor of more pressing matters and want you to hurry up now.
8. Tapping The Feet Or Hands
The tapping of fingers or feet is universally frowned upon. You’ll come out as someone who is either bored or agitated and can’t wait for the discussion to conclude. It also gives the impression that you aren’t paying attention to what the other person is saying in a discussion. Someone who taps their feet excessively may be considered anxious and uneasy.
9. Frowning
That you shouldn’t frown while interacting with other individuals should go without saying. But unfortunately, people frequently frown without even realizing it. People often act this way not because they are offended or angry but because they are intensely concentrated on a specific task.
10. Eyes Rolling
Eyes directed skyward during the discussion indicate incredulity, annoyance, or contempt. Even the patient individual can be driven away by involuntary eye-rolling. Your friendships might suffer as a result of this behavior. Others may feel you don’t care about what they say.
Not all of us are social butterflies. However, we must maintain certain etiquette to ensure we fit in and don’t offend anyone. So, what, according to you, is the best way to lead a healthy social life? Let us know in the comments section!
