“Women are apparently much better than men at reading body language…”
Following up on last week’s introduction to positive body language (click here to read first article), our expert Anneline Black puts the spotlight on positive versus negative body language. Please note, this is only an overview of body language to wet your appetite. Follow Anneline to become more aware of the non-verbal messages you are conveying on a daily basis. Over to Anneline…

Anneline facilitating a workshop (Photo credit: Del Fonte Photography).
Negative Body Language
Defensiveness: arms crossed on chest, crossing legs and pointing with the index finger.
Insecurities and nervousness: biting fingernails, covering your mouth with your hand while speaking, poor eye contact, perspiring and wringing hands, tugging on the ear and fidgeting with hair.
Frustration: running hands through the hair or rubbing the back of the neck. Tightly clenched hands also signal frustration.
Impatience: Tapping with fingers on the desk.

Photo credit: Del Fonte Photography.
Positive Body Language
Confidence: Good eye contact, smiling in an appropriate manner and a firm and engaging handshake. It is important to move your body fluidly and with confidence, while using simple yet strong hand movements to get your point across.
Openness and Cooperation: Lean in slightly to show interest when talking to someone, relax your hands, showing enthusiasm and an energetic expression, nodding in agreement and smiling when appropriate.

Photo credit: Del Fonte Photography.
How Men & Women Flirt
Women are apparently much better than men at reading body language – it is just the way our brains are wired. So when it comes to dating, women will know very quickly if a guy is interested in her. Men, on the other hand, don’t always know when a woman is interested in him. You might have to repeat the `I am interested` signals up to five times before he gets the message! Sometimes the direct approach like, “Hi, I like you,” will do the trick.
How do women flirt? We toss our hair and tilt our heads to the side to expose our necks. The ‘come hither’ look is a sidelong glance and a little smile. So they say…
How do men flirt? They square their shoulders, jut out their jaws and try to look more manly. If all else fails, they come up with a corny pickup line to break the ice.
Happy flirting ladies! Until next time.
Follow Anneline on www.anneline-black.com to find out about upcoming workshops or contact her on info@anneline-black.com.