A body expression The analysis of gestures, postures, and voice tones attract so much attention that professionals specializing in this type of material are gaining space.

An example of this is the Metaforando Channel, authored by Vitor Santos, technical expert in facial expressions by PEG-USA. In his videos, Vitor analyzes real scenes from journalism and Brazilian TV in order to point out the messages that body expressions communicate .

If you are interested in knowing a little more about this "art", check out the information we bring along!

What is body expression?

Body expression is the manifestation of feelings, thoughts, and knowledge through the body. Contrary to what many people think, it is not necessary to let people know that we are nervous, tired, angry or in love, because our body gives the message, especially when you are not aware of the types of body communication.

We talk about them below!

What are the types of body communication?

Kinesics

Kinesthetic body communication is that which involves body movements, gestures, and expressions.

Thesaurus

On the other hand, tactile body communication involves touch and everything we can communicate from it. A classic example is that of handshake, which can communicate different messages depending on how firm both parties are.

Proxemic

In proxemic body communication the focus is on the way of appropriating a certain physical space. For example, we have the movement an individual makes while giving a lecture.

Different messages are conveyed if this person chooses to stay all the time in one place, without moving, or appropriating all the space that he or she has.

Paralinguistics

In turn, paralinguistic body communication concerns the non-verbal aspects of verbal language, such as changes in tone of voice.

Notice that when the voice rises sharply, it is possible to notice nervousness or stress On the other hand, a voice that is too low suggests shyness or fear.

Physics

The last type of body communication takes into account a person's body shape and appearance.

We can associate it with issues of personal style and personal image, since Our image also communicates and people already place expectations and predictions on us about who we are from what they can see externally.

9 forms of body expression and their meanings: did you already know the fifth and seventh?

Now that you know the different ways of body expression, we will discuss 9 of the main ones in more depth, so you will understand how what we don't say also conveys a message. Check it out!

1 - Scratching your nose

The body expression of scratching the nose suggests that the person is in doubt or telling a lie .

A curiosity about this gesture is that is an involuntary movement that the individual performs in order to hide his mouth when speaking.

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Therefore, our reading is that there are parts of the content of the message that are not true.

2 - Looking down

The act of looking down can have two distinct meanings, that is, it can have both a positive and negative reading.

As far as negative reading is concerned, if you look down too much it suggests discouragement, sadness, fear and shame.

However, there is a positive point that this gesture reveals, which is reflection. That is, by looking down after hearing an idea or argument, you indicate that you are seriously reflecting on what you have heard.

3 - Biting the lips

You may already know that the act of biting your lips indicates nervousness, anxiety, worry, and fear. Even anxious people are notoriously known for biting their lips frequently.

4 - Hands on the waist

Another form of body expression is to put your hands on your waist when communicating. Even if you don't raise your voice, this is a gesture that will be interpreted as impatience, aggressiveness, and the need for immediate attention.

5 - Ear rubbing

Rubbing your ear while listening to an idea or argument indicates indecision or skepticism about what you are hearing. In other words, Even if you say you agree with your interlocutor, by rubbing your ears, your body shows what you really think.

6 - Scratching your head

Still talking about indecision, another body expression that usually communicates it is the act of rubbing the head. However, besides indicating doubt and indecision, this gesture can also communicate uncertainty, restlessness, and confusion.

7 - Snapping your fingers

Has anyone ever snapped their fingers in your direction in a soft communication?

Normally, when tempers are not excited, this is a gesture that does not appear in the interaction between two people. It usually indicates anxiety, impatience, frustration, and aggressiveness.

Furthermore, this is a very rude gesture.

8 - Resting your head between your hands

Do you know when we are watching a class or lecture after a night of not being able to sleep properly? It is normal that, in order to follow what the communicator is saying, we rest our head on our hands.

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Read Also: Dunning Kruger Effect: what is it, how does it affect us?

However, this gesture suggests disinterest, idleness, sadness and, above all, a lot of boredom.

9 - Fiddling with hair

To close our list of types of body expression and their meanings, we would like to mention the practice of fiddling with hair, either by rolling the strands between your fingers or by stroking the strands.

Be that as it may, Fiddling with hair suggests insecurity, hesitation, nervousness, and shyness.

Final considerations about the forms of corporal expression

We hope that this content on what body expression is and its different types has helped you become more aware of the signals your body gives off, even when it is not speaking. On many occasions, what the body says speaks much louder than our voice.

In this way, you can observe yourself and make an effort to regulate your own behavior in situations where it is necessary to control your gestures Examples of such contexts are work interviews, discussions, meetings and presentations in public.

Finally, if you liked our article about body expression We invite you to read other contents on the subject, and we also invite you to get to know the contents of our clinical psychoanalysis course, completely online, in which you can get the psychoanalyst certificate to practice. Check it out!