Dear 7 Set Spark Community,
In today’s fast-paced digital world, where our days are spent glued to screens or hunched over books, our posture significantly becomes impacted and its significance on our overall body language often gets overshadowed. However, understanding and harnessing the power of body language can be a game-changer, especially for the Ethiopian youth navigating the workforce and social interactions. Your body language is an unspoken communication tool that speaks volumes about your confidence, and here’s how you can leverage it to your advantage:
The Link Between Body Language and Confidence
Did you know that only 7% of communication is verbal? YouthTime Magazine tells us that the rest is comprised of 38% tone of voice and 55% body language. [1] Your posture, gestures, and expressions hold immense power in shaping how others perceive you, ultimately influencing your self-confidence. Especially for you—the young Ethiopian—embarking on your professional journey, mastering confident body language can be the key to your success.
- The Power of Confident Body Language: Impact on Personal and Professional Life
Personal Life: A blog post on PathwayCommunications indicates that Non-verbal communication is MORE noticeable than verbal communication. [2] This means that everyone around you; especially people who are close to you, notice it considerably. Effective body language can strengthen bonds within family and friendships by aligning your gestures with your emotions and words, enhancing communication and understanding. - Professional Life: If you master confident body language, you will increase your chances of being hired but even more so will advance quicker than your colleagues in your career. You will be able to lead teams better because people are more willing to listen to your non-verbal communication as mentioned above. This is vital in a competitive job market.
Power Posing: Harnessing Confidence
Consider practicing power posing—assuming confident body language for a brief period before important events. A LinkedIn article references Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk and the science of body language where the article remarks how research conducted by Cuddy and her colleagues suggests that striking a power pose for just a couple of minutes can lead to significant physiological changes in the body. [3] This practice can trick your brain into feeling more confident, enhancing your performance and presence.
Tips to Convey Self-Confidence and Authority Through Body Language
1.Maintain Your Posture: Stand tall, shoulders back, and legs slightly apart. Good posture not only projects confidence but also boosts your vitality and mental alertness, creating a lasting impression on your audience during presentations or meetings. On the contrary, research indicates that low-power posing has negative impacts on people’s moods, and increases one’s anxiety, boredom, fatigue, and impatience levels. [4]
2.The Power of a Smile: I bet you did not know that the human face has 43 muscles and can make up to 10,000 expressions. [5] A smile triggers positive hormones, relaxes your body, and makes you appear more approachable and trustworthy. It’s a simple yet impactful tool in your communication arsenal.
3.Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact while speaking or listening displays engagement and professionalism, enhancing communication effectiveness in all spheres of life. A Forbes article written by a communication professional posits the fact that Maintaining eye contact within 60%-70% of the communication time is enough to create a good rapport. [6] Maintaining eye contact shows you are confident.
4.Mind Your Handshake: A firm, brief handshake with eye contact signifies confidence and respect. A neuroscience study from the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois found that a firm handshake not only increases the positive effect toward a favorable interaction but also diminishes the impact of a negative impression. [7] As a result, it’s a key element in creating a positive first impression.
Mastering confident body language is a skill that can transform the way you present yourself and interact with the world. Believe it or not, there is a national Body Language Day. And this year, it fell on October 7th, 2022. National Body Language Day aims to help people realize the power of body language as a powerful mode of communication. [8] However, we encourage you to practice and explore these tips, integrating them into your daily life. Remember, your body language speaks volumes—make it count!
Resources
[1] http://youthtimemag.com/to-talk-or-not-to-talk-that-is-the-question-at-least-70-percent-of-communication-is-non-verbal/
[2]https://pathwaycommunication.com/three-facts-about-nonverbal-communication-in-high-concern-situations/
[3]https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unleashing-inner-confidence-science-body-language-amy-mohammad-reda/
[4]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276846841_The_Impacts_of_Openclosed_Body_Positions_and_Postures_on_Learners%27_Moods
[5]https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/the-seven-universal-emotions-we-wear-on-our-face
[6]https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2015/12/01/why-the-best-salespeople-read-body-language/?sh=2014a5e764c7
[7] https://beckman.illinois.edu/about/news/article/2012/10/19/833c5312-07dc-499e-b192-941f95db727b
[8] https://nationaltoday.com/national-body-language-day/