Body Language

Key wellness / self-awareness / productivity strategies

Understand body language as nonverbal communication

• Body language includes posture, facial expressions, gestures, and more.
• Meaning can vary by culture, but people often instinctively interpret it as moods, feelings, or intentions.

Practice “pause and check in” to improve your habits

Because body language habits may be automatic or unconscious, you can improve them by:

• Taking time to pause
• Noticing your current nonverbal cues
• Adjusting them to become a more effective nonverbal communicator

Example: Arms crossed + avoiding eye contact may signal you’re less approachable—even if your mood is friendly.

Use self-awareness to manage social interactions more effectively

• Improving nonverbal communication can affect how others perceive you and how you perceive them.
• Aim to communicate effectively before you even speak.

Apply the same awareness to reading others

• When observing others’ body language, treat it as possible signals, not certain facts.
• Example scenario: If a coworker is quiet, turned away, and slouched, you might infer they’re upset or that something feels “unspoken.”
• Depending on context, you can respond by:
  • Giving space, or
  • Checking in: “Is anything wrong?”

Presenter / source

• GCF Global