Nonverbal Communication - An Overview

What is Communication? Communication is a two way process. It is the process through which you impart your knowledge, express your feelings and convey your ideas. There are mainly three types of communication. They are

• Non-verbal
• Verbal
• Written

This article would give the reader a brief insight about non-verbal communication. You should remember that that your body language and your eye movements send waves of various frequencies that convey the message. This could be one of the reasons that nonverbal communication occupies 70% space in the communication pie chart. Whereas the other forms of communication occupy the remaining 30%.

Why Nonverbal Communication is Considered to Be Very Powerful?
Nonverbal communication has the power to break or create a relationship. For instance, a bond can be created between a teacher and students, if the teacher has the ability to strike a balance between nonverbal language of his students and himself. If the teacher can read the nonverbal messages send by the students, then it helps him to render his lectures accordingly. The ability of the teacher to decipher the nonverbal behavior will make the class more interesting and fun.

Wordless communication speaks volumes. The nonverbal cues can be read by the experienced nonverbal communicators. There are times when you say something but your body communicates something else. Your facial expressions, your eye movements including eye contact, the posture of your body and also your gestures convey a lot more than you think. These are areas from where your nonverbal behavioral cues are read.

Is Non-verbal Communication, Empathy and Emotional Intelligence Connected ?
Nonverbal communication, empathy and emotional intelligence are interconnected. These are entwined and they determine the thickness of human bonding. Remember that your eyes can speak and they can listen too. If you are capable of reading the nonverbal cues, you can decipher the meaning of message conveyed. Your eyes can convey your anger, joy, annoyance, happiness and fear. Your face reflects this also. If you are sad, how much ever you try to hide your emotion, it will be revealed.

You can empathize with another person through wordless communication. For instance, someone close to your friend is sick or meets with an unforeseen danger, it is not necessary that you have to comfort him with loving words. Your presence there is more than enough to comfort him. This is because you both have an understanding and here your body language and the expressions are similar to that of your friends. This is another classic example of nonverbal communication.

An occasional hug from the mother is more than enough for a child, when he is upset about something. He understands that his mom shares his emotions. A mere pat on the back conveys the message that you appreciate something that your child has done. Here actions speak louder than words.

Gestures Play an Important Role
The gestures that are universal are nodding the head, waving when you meet someone familiar, and your hand movements. These convey messages and the nonverbal communicator can decipher them easily. Depending on the movement, the gestures can indicate whether you are comfortable or uncomfortable. Gestures vary from nation to nation. In France, if you rub beneath your eyes while in conversation, it means that you do not believe a word what the other person says. Hence if you happen to travel widely, you need to know the gestures of your place of visit.

Nonverbal communication is a skill. It can be acquired and instilled through proper coaching and practice. It takes years of experience to be a good nonverbal communicator. Nonverbal communication is as vast as an ocean. There are many inlets and sublets to it. However, you can start your lessons by noticing things that happen around you.