Your Body Language Says More Than You Think

You can change others' perception about you and the way you feel about yourself just by changing your posture. 

Chances are you're either hunching over, arms may be crossed, or maybe your legs are spread out. I want you to pay attention to your own body right now. 

There's been many studies done that look at how our body language affects others. We forget that our nonverbal behavior plays a huge role in how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. 

When we want to feel dominance and powerful, we tend to be in this power stance. When we feel powerless we do the opposite. We close up. We wrap ourselves up and small. Imagine walking into your next interview or big project wrapped up. This behavior will not only affect your mind, but also affect the outcome of the situation. 

In a TED talk by Amy Cuddy, she says, "Our bodies change our minds, our minds change our behavior, and our behavior can change our outcomes."

When I walked into an interview last year, I was definitely nervous. If I could feel myself acting this way, I knew my interviewer could feel it as well. And all I could think about was trying not to act nervous, which didn't really help my situation. 

This year, walking into 3 different interviews, I changed my mindset and behavior going in. 1-2 weeks leading up to each interview, I meditated 5min/day. I prepped for certain questions and practices out loud with a friend. Over and over out loud until it became natural and I felt confidence from within. It wasn't about me pretending to act confident anymore. I was confident. And that is what carried me through the interviews. 

You must be able to show to people you are trying to influence or lead that you understand and can relate to them. That's the foundation of building trust. If they don't trust you, your ideas are just done. 

So many people try to be the smartest person in the room and that's not how you actually become a good leader or persuasive. You have to connect with people and build trust before you can influence or lead them.

Some quick ways:

• Stand tall, chin and head up, and widen your stance.

• Maintain positive eye contact.

• Talk with your hands.

• Smile.

• Practice your handshake.

• Be interested and engaged.

Body language is not only a mirror of our feelings but it can also be used to change our own self image.

Happy Thoughts!

-C