Nonverbal communication can be a powerful way to send a message. If your words vary from the body language you are displaying, a listener will believe your nonverbal cues over your words, as reported by Psychology Today. People react to the unspoken and your communication success will improve as you become more aware of types of nonverbal communication.
Posture
How do you carry yourself when you walk? Do you keep your head to the ground or do you hold your head high? These are nonverbal techniques called posture and they can communicate information to others. Posture can say, "I am sad," or "I don't really want to be bothered." Nonverbal communication through posture involves your bearing and stance, according to Help Guide.
Eye Contact
According to the Help Guide, the visual sense is dominant for most people, making the influence of eye contact in nonverbal communication important. Eyes can communicate interest, anger, sadness, attraction and lying, as reported by Help Guide.We use eye contact to gauge another person's response and to help to continue the conversation.
Facial Expression
The face is an important center for nonverbal communication. It is in the face that slight and subtle expressions, along with dramatic and elongated hints, are used to convey messages. It is through our facial muscles that we can convey countless emotions, including happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, anger and fear, as reported by the Help Guide. Also, these six expressions communicate the same thing across cultures, as stated in Help Guide.
Gestures
According to the Center for Nonverbal Studies, a gesture is a body movement that helps to encode a concept. They include looking away, rubbing the nose, smoothing the hair, pointing, folding the arms, hands on hips, scratching the head, raising the eyebrows and biting the fingernails. The meaning behind gestures varies greatly from culture to culture, as reported by the Center for Nonverbal Studies.
Touch
Touch is an important nonverbal communication tool. Examples of the nonverbal communication of touch are such things as: high fives, hugs, pats on the back, kissing and brushing across the shoulder. These actions communicate a huge range of emotions and feelings that you would have a hard time putting into words. Instead, they are easily communicated to the receiver through a simple touch, as reported in Psychology Today.
Spacing
How close we stand to one another has meaning. Physical space is something that varies between cultures, the situation and the closeness of the people's relationship, according to Help Guide. Whether you choose to stand close or far away from someone can communicate things such as intimacy, dominance and aggression, reports Help Guide.
Voice
With voice, it is not what you say but the tone, pitch, volume, inflection, rhythm and rate at which you say it. Help Guide suggests that the sounds of speech provide the listener with insight into the feelings behind our words. For instance, when someone yells, you realize that he is angry or feels that what he is saying is important. You can distinguish this through volume and tone.
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