hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're going to learn about ten signs you have
awkward body language now let's begin number one scratching your nose rosy cheeks are a dead
giveaway that you're feeling nervous are awkward but where does all that redness come from when
you're feeling stressed a sudden rush of blood will fill up the vessels in your face it makes
your head hot and of course it turns your skin right red but people can't always tell when your
cheeks are flushed if you're in a darker room for example you don't have much to worry about little
changes in your skin color are almost impossible for anyone to see but rosy cheeks aren't the only
sign that you're nervous in fact you're probably using awkward body language that's even more
obvious when all that blood rushes into your face it creates extra pressure under your skin and it
makes your face really itchy without realizing it you might stand there scratching your cheeks or
your nose over and over again one or two scratches are pretty normal but if you're constantly
reaching up to rub your nose you're going to make people feel awkward so the next time your cheeks
turn red or your nose feels tingly just keep your hands as far away from your face as you can
number two the growing gap once you've started a conversation with someone how far away from
them should you stand there really isn't one right answer everyone has their own personal preference
some people like to get up close and personal others will make sure that you've both got plenty
of space to work with but if you're standing too far away other people might find you awkward and
uncomfortable to be around creating a gap works a lot like crossing your arms over your chest it's
a physical barrier that divides your space from theirs while that extra space might keep your
nerves under control it has a negative effect on the way people perceive you standing too far away
makes you seem distant aloof it tells the world that you'd rather stay inside your personal bubble
you can usually fix this awkward body language by scooting closer as the conversation goes on if
you gradually close the gap it shows people that you're trying to open up and bond with them on a
deeper level but what happens if the gap gets even larger well you'd be surprised how many people
unconsciously back away as the conversation goes on they start the conversation a few feet apart
and then five minutes later they end up halfway across the room now obviously this kind of thing
throws people for a loop they'll think they did something wrong or they scared you off which makes
the situation uncomfortable for everyone involved number three frazzled glances eye contact is one
of the most powerful forms of body language but it isn't nearly as easy as it looks it takes a lot of
confidence to purposely look into someone else's eyes especially when you're already feeling shy or
nervous that's why people go to such great lengths to avoid making eye contact they'll do all kinds
of weird things like staring at the floor for constantly looking at their hands but the worst
thing you can do is to try to look everywhere at the same time scattered glances will make
anyone feel on edge if you're constantly looking side to side or up and down people are going to
wonder what you're searching for they'll think you're distracted annoyed or just plain paranoid
so even if you're still working on making direct eye contact don't let your eyes wander too much
number 4 pushing out your chin humans gather an incredible amount of information from every single
part of the face when you think about the most emotive body parts what comes to mind probably
the eyes in the mouth right we just talked about how powerful eye contact can be and everyone's
experience the huge impact the smile or a frown can have but what about the rest of your face what
can you learn from less expressive body parts like your chin or Joline it turns out you can
learn a lot for example you tend to push out your chin when you're feeling frustrated or anxious it
stems from an excess of tension in your jaw when you're feeling stressed or restless the muscles
in your jaw tightened pressing together your teeth and pushing your chin forward when people notice
that tension in your jaw line it affects the way they perceive your mood they assume you're
irritated which obviously throws a wrench into the conversation to avoid looking uncomfortable keep
your jaw loose and your chin back yeah I know it sounds like a small change but when it comes
to body language even tiny adjustments can make a huge difference number five unconscious flinching
when you start talking to someone new there's one feeling you never want them to have you never want
anyone to think you're afraid of them as soon as fear enters the conversation your dynamic
will completely change they'll feel confused and uncomfortable you'll get defensive and the chances
of forming an actual friendship becomes slim to none that's why flinching is such a destructive
form of body language if you wince every time someone moves their hand or steps towards you
they're going to think you're scared think about it what else makes you flinch things like snakes
spiders and the monsters in horror movies when something like that terrifies you your
fight-or-flight response kicks into high gear your arms and legs move on their own your eyes
widen and your body shrinks away so when you flinch when you're talking to someone you've
now placed them in the same category as snakes and spiders and that's not a place anybody wants to be
number six peeking your eyebrows the eyebrows are another part of the face that doesn't get enough
recognition a small change in the angle of your eyebrows can completely change your expression
imagine someone smiling with their eyebrows angled up they'd look happy or maybe a little sympathetic
but what if they smile with their eyebrows angled down suddenly they look maniacal like
a super villain watching his master plan unfold so how can your eyebrows turn normal body language
into awkward body language when you're worried or stressed your eyebrows tend to get higher on your
face people will consistently think something's wrong even if you're just trying to act normal
luckily there's an easy fix if you can't stop your eyebrows from peaking just pair it with a little
smile and that way you'll seem interested instead of anxious or uncomfortable number 7 attachment
to your phone what's the most frustrating thing someone can do in the middle of a conversation
countless surveys have asked this same question and one answer consistently tops the charts few
things are more annoying than someone who keeps checking their phone while you're talking but why
does this behavior bother us so much each time you check your phone it's like telling someone they
don't have your full attention you're basically saying the conversation just isn't interesting
or important to you anymore obviously that would make anyone feel awkward or annoyed so keep your
phone in your pocket unless you're waiting for a really important message your phone can wait
number eight restless limbs do you have trouble keeping your legs from shaking or your feet from
tapping restless limbs are a very well-known sign of social anxiety in fact about 10% of
the population compulsively moves their hands or feet when they're feeling stressed most of
the time your limbs move to release a nervous energy for example you might tap your foot while
taking a test to help yourself focus but in any social situation that's not what people are going
to see they'll think you're anxious or impatient neither of which paints you in the most positive
life unfortunately restless limbs are almost impossible to hide your legs make up a huge
portion of your body so if your legs won't stop moving people are going to notice the best thing
you can do is distract them with other kinds of positive body language make eye contact uncross
your arms and lean forward when they're talking if you sho enough positivity people won't pay
much attention to your restless legs number nine skulking lots of people hunched over or slouched
when they stand but some people have such bad posture that it actually hurts their image if you
have awkward body language you might do something called skulking it's when you lean your head down
and forward as you walk almost like you're trying to shield your face this kind of body language
really throws people off not only does it look strange but it makes everyone think you've got
something to hide number ten wild gestures tons of people talk with their hands and under the right
circumstances it adds emphasis and it makes you seem more charismatic but some people take basic
hand gestures way too far if you swing your hands around wildly when you talk you're probably making
the people around you feel uncomfortable because you're not gesturing for any real reason you're
just flailing your hands around not only are these wild gestures super distracting they also make you
look like a big bundle of nerves in other words it's perfectly fine to move your hands around when
you want to make a point just make sure that you keep your gesturing under control hey thank you
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