How to Interpret Non-Verbal Cues

How do we become healthier, more effective, communicators? In last week’s episode, Kamini talked about active and engaged listening to be a better friend and partner. This week, Kamini focuses on non-verbal cues and communication to help you build a better connection. In fact, the most important thing in communication is your ability to hear what isn’t being said. Most communication is non-verbal. We need to use our eyes to see the undertones of the person’s body language, which then helps us translate our conversation into a different context. For example, did you know smiling with your eyes can help ease your counterpart? Did you know there are stubble ‘dead giveaways’ that make someone unbelievable? And did you know, crossing your arms can show you’re not interested in the conversation, but leaning in means you are incredibly engaged? Great communicators have the ability to read facial expressions and see inconsistencies in the words they’re hearing vs. in what the person is saying. Our biggest communicator is our eyes. As it’s the window into our soul, it also relays a lot of information back to someone listening. For example, looking someone straight in the eyes can convey confidence, understanding, and trust. However, be careful with this as certain cultures can see this as threatening! There’s definitely a balance to communicating in a way that eases all the non-verbal triggers. For example, if you have a sensitive topic to talk about, don’t send it via email or text because it’s very difficult to detect tone of voice and it can make the situation worse. Want to get better at communication? Lean into the non-verbal cues, and most importantly, stay present! Continue Your Growth Journey: Kaminiwood.com