"Did you know that 50 - 70 percent of our communication is non-verbal ?

When you think about it, it's  little wonder that, there is sometimes so much misunderstanding and confusion when attempting to communicate, like the way some of our messages are received by others in a totally different context, because major part of our communication is not the words uttered, but the non-verbal part of it.

Another thing to remember is that culture plays a major part in non-verbal communications too.  What I mean here is that, there are gestures and body language that is accepted and adapted by a particular culture or a country and quite accepted in that place, which will give a totally different meaning to an outsider.  A good example that comes to mind, are my first days here in Canada studying as an international student.  Although I am no stranger to this country, I still had to understand the accepted norms when interacting with fellow students and others, which was different to the ways I was accustomed to, been living major part of my life in the Middle East.  Having said that I have to add that, it continues to be very interesting and rewarding for me, to be a part of this diverse culture here in Canada.

So, in order to improve our non-verbal skills, here are some ways we could understand and use it to our own advantage.

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Facial expressions : Facial communication amount to a large portion of our non-verbal messages, and it is said that there are approximately 250,000 facial expressions ! For instance a smile says we are happy, and a frown will give out impressions of being upset or serious.  On the other hand a lack of facial expression conveys a message too.  It says we are bored, or that the message wasn't understood properly.

What message is the girl in the image (1)  giving out, going by her facial expression ?

This information was referenced from:

http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/ss/understanding-body-language.htm
http://www.ehow.com/info_8115785_many-types-nonverbal-communications-there.html                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                    

By Dona Wewala

Picture from:
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=non+verbal+communication&um=1&hl

"Getting that all important message across..."

Image 1

As we all are aware, good communication skills are the foundation of successful relationships, whether it be on a professional or a personal level.  However, in order to communicate well, one needs to know, the factors that contribute towards good communication.  Understanding that there is much more than words spoken in communication is the first step in doing this.  This part of the communication process which is "wordless"  is called, non-verbal communication or body language.  When body language is understood well and used effectively, it becomes a skill, and invariably a powerful tool in connecting with others as well as expressing yourself well.

The first scientific study of non-verbal communication was done by Charles Darwin, which he wrote in his book, "The Expression of the Emotions of Man and Animals", and since then many discoveries have been made in this area.

Another interesting fact about non-verbal messages is that it cannot be faked.  We may learn how to best use body language to our advantage, and even try very hard at times to act in a way that is acceptable and brings out the best effect that we would like to have, but the truth is that, sooner or later, we are going to give ourselves away, unless of course we truly feel the way we project.  All in all the messages we give through our non-verbal communication is going to have a huge impact on how others see us, how well they start to like/respect us and whether or not, they will place their trust in us.

Being aware of our emotions and how they affect us with regard to body language, gives us an understanding as to why other people are acting in a particular way and sending out these non-verbal messages, and the emotions underlying their actions.  This to a great extent, helps us to develop our non-verbal skills.

This information was referred from:
http://helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

http://wiki.ask.com/Nonverbal_communication