We control our bodies, but our bodies also control us, which is why we should pay close attention to the secrets of body language. Simple gestures, basic postures… research shows that each of them has a dramatic impact on the way we think and feel.
That does not mean you have to be an athlete or a contortionist to take advantage of it. You can just be yourself.
We are drawing on a selection put together by Jeff Haden, who has compiled some proven body language techniques.
8 ways to become a better version of yourself through body language
1. Lie down and you will be more creative
According to Professor Darren Lipnicki of the Australian National University, lying down can lead to creative breakthroughs.
“It could be that we have our most creative thoughts while lying on our backs,” he says. One reason could be that more of the chemical noradrenaline is released while we are standing, and noradrenaline may inhibit our ability to think creatively.
It is no coincidence that the fictional character Don Draper, the creative genius of Mad Men, would lie down on his office sofa to let good ideas come to him, and seemed to find, right then, exactly the idea he was looking for.
2. Cross your arms and you will be more determined
Strange as it may seem, crossing your arms will help you perform better on problems that have a solution.
That is good news indeed, because persistence is a trait shared by the most successful entrepreneurs.
Whenever you feel stuck, press your arms against your torso. And then keep pushing forward.
3. Stand like Superman and you will gain confidence
According to Harvard professor Amy Cuddy, spending two minutes before giving a talk standing with your arms held out or raised to the sky, or standing like Superman with your hands on your hips, will considerably increase your confidence.
See also: 6 tricks to look confident when speaking in public, even if you are not
Try this before going into a situation where you know you will feel nervous, insecure or intimidated. (Just make sure nobody is watching, so no one thinks you have lost your mind.)
We covered these postures in a previous article: they are basically power poses that make you look confident even when you are not, and according to Amy Cuddy, if you look confident with your body, you trick your mind into becoming confident.
Recommended: Body language changes that help you not just fake it, but become it
4. Smile and you will reduce stress
Frowning, grimacing and other negative facial expressions signal to your brain that what you are doing is difficult. Your body responds by releasing cortisol, which raises your stress levels.
Stress breeds more stress, and that is not good for you.
The solution is to smile. You will feel less stress, even if nothing about the situation changes. And when you smile, other people feel less stress too. So there is nothing better than easing tension with a smile. The first step to improving your body language is to smile.
A smile is Richard Branson‘s most characteristic trait.
5. Tilt your head slightly and you will show you are at ease
Tilting your head slightly when you meet someone shows deference and humility, and helps remove perceived differences in state of mind.
The next time you meet someone, tilt your head slightly forward, smile, make eye contact and show that you are delighted to meet them.
6. Mirror other people and you will understand their emotions
It sounds strange, but research shows that imitating other people’s non-verbal expressions can help you understand the emotions they are conveying.
Since we all express our emotions non-verbally, copying those expressions affects our own emotions through an “afferent feedback mechanism”.
7. Change your stance and you will reduce conflict
When tensions run high, standing face to face with another person makes the situation feel confrontational.
When what you have to say might make the other person feel challenged, shift your weight a little onto the other foot or sit at an angle.
Simply moving to that slight angle implicitly reduces any perceived confrontation and can make an awkward conversation easier to handle, or at least reduce the chances that it ends in an argument.
8. Chew gum and you will be more alert and in a better mood
Chewing gum may seem unprofessional. Yet a large number of studies show that gum can make you more alert, improve your reaction times, sharpen selective and sustained attention, and lift your mood.
Chewing gum was also among the tricks for overcoming fear and anxiety, because the brain associates gum with food, and people rarely sit down to eat while a lion is chasing them.
So the next time you need to solve a problem or urgently need creativity to come to you, lie down, cross your arms and chew some gum. Maybe that is the combination you need to crack that difficult problem.
Further reading
- 7 body language techniques that will help you in business
- 9 body language mistakes that can cost you your job
- 10 psychological factors you can use to your advantage
Featured image: PopTech, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
