Nonverbal Communication Overview

Body language is a language without spoken words and is therefore called nonverbal communication. It makes the meaning of our words clear. We use body language all the time; in contact with others it is just not possible to be not communicating something. Nonverbal communication can include :  shaking hands, posture, facial expressions, appearance, voice, tone, hairstyle, clothes, smile, touch, color choice, silence.

In short, paralanguage (how the voice sounds), kinesics (facial expressions, eye contact, posture, and gestures), image (clothing, objects, and appearances), and proxemics (spatial relationships) express what is going on inside of us. They give clues to others and to us as to whether the words we say are consistent with what we are really feeling.

Being aware of our body language can allow us to send a consistent message. People tend to believe a nonverbal message when a verbal message contradicts. Since gestures and body language communicate as effectively as words - maybe even more effectively, it is essential for all of us to become more sensitive, more aware, and more observant to the body language that surround us every day.