zandax online course logo
zandax website search
zandax phone callback
Info, Blogs, Contact & Login
Courses
Tests

The 7 Best Ways to Read Body Language

From the ZandaX Communication Blog

Articles to help you improve your communications

Home  >  ZandaX Blogs  >  Development Blog  >  Communication Articles  > 
The 7 Best Ways to Read Body Language

The 7 Best Ways to Read Body Language

A post from our Communication blog

Article author: Ashley Andrews
      Written by Ashley Andrews
Although you might think that telling a lie, feigning interest in something, or appearing confident would be relatively easy, in reality, they rarely are. The reason for this is that our bodies and gestures never lie, and can (and will) betray us at a moment's notice.

For this exact reason, if you were planning to appear confident in a job interview, you wouldn't just need to rehearse thoroughly, you'd also need to genuinely feel confident and comfortable. If you can't do that, your body language will betray you the moment you let your guard down.

Nervous Interviewee

However, while consciously changing your body language may be tricky, the good news is that reading other people's gestures comes to us naturally, and our instincts respond to a person's body language as a part of our innate defence mechanism.

But how exactly can we interpret these clues and use them to improve our communication skills? Below are our tips on the 7 best ways to read body language.

1) Face

When two people are talking, they are most likely to communicate face-to-face. But although looking at the other person enables you to read their facial expressions, it's not always a fool-proof method of finding out how they feel.

The reason for this is that although facial expressions are quite easy to interpret in general (a lot easier than any other gestures, in fact), by the time we reach adulthood we learn how to mask our emotions. The good news is, however, that there are still a few ways our face can betray us.

We cover all of these in our communication skills courses, but if you're looking for some quick ideas, here are some of the most important things you need to know.


Smile

The natural smile, sometimes referred to as the Duchenne smile, is very hard to duplicate. In fact, some say it's nearly impossible. Most people don't recognise it, but while a true smile causes crow's feet at the corner of our eyes, a fake smile doesn't. People who are aware of this can instinctively recognise that something is missing from a smile when a fake one is directed at them.


Eyebrows

Eyebrows are surprisingly eloquent. They furrow when we're worried or are concentrating, and they rise when we are surprised or are in discomfort. Some people can even raise a single brow in question too. Just like in the case of facial expressions in general, these signs are relatively easy to interpret which comes naturally to most of us.

Want to Communicate More Effectively?


If you'd like to learn more about communication, why not take a look at how we can help?

Boost your communication skills with our online courses.
RRP from $89 – limited time offer just $16.00



2) Arms

Hand gestures are probably one of the most important features of body language as most people love to use their hands when speaking. Arm and hand gestures can also reveal a lot to a keen observer. Nicolas Fradet talks about these in more detail and shares some great tips on how you can interpret them on his blog.


Open palms

Open palms are always an expression of openness, though whether that's genuine or feigned is sometimes difficult to tell. It's also a gesture that invites trust and companionship in some cases.


Shrug

Shrugging is almost always a sign of ignorance. Most people shrug when they don't know something or simply can't be bothered to know. It can also be seen as a dismissive gesture, since people don't tend to shrug off serious issues.


Crossed arms

Although it's widely known that crossed arms are generally a sign of defensiveness, that shouldn't be taken as a rule. People cross their arms for a variety of reasons, and defensiveness is only one of them.

Crossing Arms

If a person is arguing and crosses his arms, that is most likely a sign of defensiveness. However, if he's smiling naturally, for the most part seeming content, the crossed arms might just be a habit or a comfortable stance for him.

3) Body

Unlike facial expressions, people have less control over the gestures of the rest of their body. Which is why, if you know how to interpret them, these body language signs can be seen as more genuine.


Crossed legs

Crossed legs are a clear sign of resistance; it's a signal that the other person is in a contrary mood and isn't likely to listen to your argument. In these cases, they usually come in with a negative mindset from the beginning.


Jiggling legs

Jiggling someone's legs is a universally acknowledged sign of nervousness or impatience. You'll notice that people who sit with their knees bobbing up and down are either waiting impatiently for something or, in a tense situation like an interview, are simply very nervous.

If you need some more tips on how to read leg body language, Changing Minds have a more detailed overview on their website.

Want to Communicate More Effectively?


If you'd like to learn more about communication, why not take a look at how we can help?

Boost your communication skills with our online courses.
RRP from $89 – limited time offer just $16.00



Can you list any other body language signs and tips on how to read them? Tell us your suggestions in the comment section below.

Back to the Communication blog

Click the button for more Communication articles.

The ZandaX Personal Development blog

Click a panel for great articles on personal development

Write For Us

We pride ourselves on our busy, high-quality and helpful blog, and we're always looking for guest contributors to increase the variety and diversity of what we present.

Click to see how you can write for us with an original and well-written guest post.

ZandaX Blog Contents

Want to see them all? Click to view a full list of articles in our blogs.

Online courses to boost your skills
Click a button to see more about each course
Personal Development
Microsoft Software
 
 
Leadership & Management
Sales & Presentations
Service & Support
 
 
ZandaX online training course logo
ZandaX – Change Your Life ... Today
All content © ZandaX 2023
ZandaX LinkedIn logo
ZandaX LinkedIn logo
ZandaX LinkedIn logo
Close menu element
See how you score on a range of skills that are critical to your well-being and performance
Communication Skill test
Communication Skills
How Can You Communicate Better?
Would you like to see what kind of communicator you are? And how you can improve the effectiveness of your communications?
Likeability test
Likeability
How Much Do People Like You?
Do you sometimes wonder just how likeable you are? And wouldn't you like to see how you can (genuinely) become more likeable?


Time Management test
Time Management
How Can You Make More Use Of Your Time?
Are you frustrated by how easily time slips away? Do you get frustrated when things don't get done just because you run out of time?
Assertiveness test
Assertiveness
Are you Passive, Aggressive or Assertive?
Would you like to know where you fall on the behavior spectrum? Does your response to events sometimes surprise you?


Close menu element
Information & Resources
ZandaX information
Information
Read more about us, our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service
See how we want to help you, and how we make everything easy for everyone
Callback request
ZandaX Blogs
Articles to increase your knowledge and understanding in key areas of your life and career.
Read our blogs on Personal Development, Business Skills and Leadership & Management


Time Management test
Log In
Log in to your online dashboard
View your courses, review what you want and download your workbooks and certificates
Assertiveness test
Contact Us
An easy online form to get in touch
With options for More Information, Customer Service and Feedback


Close menu element
Develop Your Skills, Knowledge and Understanding with ZandaX
Click any subject in the listings for more information and a full list of courses

Personal Development
Personal Development training
Your soft skills affect everything you do, at work, at home and with friends ... they are truly life changing!
NEW COURSES
Online training courses
Hot Off the Press...
We're always adding to and upgrading our courses, so here are a few of our latest releases:
For a full listing of courses, please visit our Quick Course Finder to find exactly what you want.
Site Cookies
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better.

You can change your cookie settings in your browser. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

I'm fine with this