Summary
- What is body language?
- Understanding body language
- Importance of body language
Body language is a form of communication without spoken words. It could include gestures, signals, postures, or facial expressions. Many times, it is body language that influences a person’s opinion about you. Body language alone can form first impressions about you. That is why it is important to know more about body language and how you can adopt the right body language as a student or professional. Body language shapes who you are.
More About Body language
Body language is itself a form of communication. Sometimes, you can convey a complete message to the receiver with no spoken words at all. For students, the genuine intent of the communication might be conveyed through eye contact, gestures, or even posture. For example, When you as a student walk into a seminar room, there is just one seat available. You inquire if you may take this vacant seat from the individual seated next to you. Even in the absence of an answer, a person’s body language might convey whether or not you are welcome to occupy that seat.
As much as it is important to have the right body language while communicating, it is also important to understand body language signals. The more adeptly you as a student read the body language of others, the more effectively you will be able to interact with others.
Understanding Body language
Body language signals can give you a heads up about a person’s feelings. For example, a student slouching on a seat may not be very interested in what you are talking about. A person not making eye contact with you while you speak may be a shy person. These are just some examples that can tell you about a person, although these signals vary from person to person.
Several emotions spring out from body language. Some of the emotions that can be gauged from body language are:
- Happiness
- Sadness
- Amusement
- Disinterest
- Guilt
- Pride
- Embarrassment among other emotions.
Somebody’s language signals are looked upon as negative. Or in other words, gives a wrong impression. Crashing your knuckles, not making eye contact while speaking, shaking knees while being seated. These are all some of the negative body language signals that could give a wrong impression to the onlooker. Make sure to convert these negative body language gestures with more positive ones to avoid a first wrong impression.
Importance of Body Language
As discussed above, body language is a form of communication. Therefore, it plays an important role in our everyday life. Students and professionals alike benefit from improvements in body language. Let’s look at some of the reasons why body language is important.
1. Gives the First Impression
The importance of body language lies in the fact that it can give a first impression about yourself. Thus, enhancing students’ body language might help them make the best possible first impression. Giving the finest possible first impression is the best thing a student could hope for.
First impressions are crucial because, in some cases, they are your only opportunity as a student to leave a lasting impression. Whether it’s an interview or interaction with another person, the first impression can also be the last one. So, it is important to make your first impression the most lasting impression. The need of the hour is for students to understand the significance of body language at work when trying to make a positive first impression. Whether it’s an interview or a meeting with outsiders, pay heed to your body language at all times.
2. Better Public Speaking Skills
Students’ public speaking skills improve as a result of body language. Public speaking necessarily means engaging the public. Keeping the public engrossed is one of the foremost requirements of public speaking. Having good body language while publicly speaking is half the battle won.
Some of the body language practices while public speaking is:
- Maintain eye contact with listeners
- Use gestures and hand signals while speaking
- Keep your head in an upright position while publicly speaking.
So, the importance of body language in public speaking is evident. It not only engages the audience but is also able to convey the right message across.
3. How You Say It Is More Important than What You Say
According to an article published in psychology today, the non-verbal components of an assertive message are the key to its effectiveness. As the saying goes “Actions speak louder than words,” it holds for body language too. How you say something is more important than what you say.
4. Body Language Influences Persuasion
Body language is crucial when pupils wish to express their opinions when words fall short. People around you can gauge the confidence you have with just a look at your body language. In order to establish credibility with those around you as a student, it is crucial to have appropriate body language.The importance of body language in communication can be seen in the fact that it can influence the opinion of others around you.
5. Improves Self-Confidence
Another importance of body language is that it improves self-confidence. Self-confidence is an emotion or feeling about yourself. Body language and self-confidence are directly proportional. How confident you are as a student and as a person is demonstrated by your body language, which should be positive. Somebody’s language signals can show others that you are a confident person. For example, making eye contact while speaking, using hand actions and gestures while speaking, and holding your chin up while speaking are all signs that you have great confidence.
It makes a good impression. Body language is a great communicator. Most of the communication depends on body language and the way you carry yourself.
6. Enhances the Power of Verbal Communication
Many times, verbal communication or spoken words cannot bring out their true meaning without being accompanied by great body language. Spoken words are often understood only because of the body language that goes with them.
Often students complain of performing excellently well in an interview but still not getting hired for the post. Have you ever thought of how you managed your body language in the interview? People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude. Body language is as important as verbal communication skills. The importance of body language in communication is apparent. It forms an integral part of verbal communication.
7. Develops the Power of The 6th Sense
The sixth sense, or the ability to read someone’s body language, is a skill that students can develop. You will be able to know a true person’s feelings and emotions without the person being verbal about it. For example, if you ask a person how a particular food tastes, they may reply with “awesome” or “yum” but their body language can tell you what they feel about the food.
Therefore, the importance of body language lies in the fact that it gives you a 6th sense of power to figure out people and their emotions. Even when you hide your feelings, you forget that your eyes speak.
Conclusion
As a part of communication skills, body language is often ignored. It should be stressed, though, that for students, body language is just as crucial as verbal communication. In fact, as seen above, it forms an integral part of communication and can even make or break a deal.
Therefore, the importance of body language for students cannot be ignored. Body language is more powerful than words.
