Did you know that someone’s body language cues can speak volumes? Without even speaking, you can tell a lot about what a person is thinking or feeling at a given moment, whether it’s excitement, nervousness, happiness, fear, etc.
When you’ve progressed to the dating phase of your relationship, you may notice yourself overanalyzing your match a bit. This is fairly common because, after all, who wouldn’t be extra curious about an individual’s mannerisms after connecting with them through a Jewish online dating app? While you’ll surely notice their subtle actions and expressions, it can be helpful to learn about just what some of these habits or nervous ticks can mean, especially in the context of dating.
Explore Body Language Cues
1. Biting Nails
This habit indicates nerves or insecurity. Whether this means they are nervous about talking to you or just in general, this can be a telling body language cue. Battling nerves on a first date can be hard, but nail-biting could mean more than just nerves (which can be a good or bad thing).
2. Hand On Cheek
Whether sitting down or standing, if they place their hand on their cheek for more than a second, it might mean they are deeply concentrating on what you’re saying or thinking about how they’re going to respond.
3. Arms Crossed
This can show that the person you’re speaking to might be in disagreement with you or emotionally unavailable. It can also be a sense of security for them to have their arms crossed in front of them, “protecting” themselves.
4. Standing Straight With Great Posture
Interpret this as an act of confidence. This doesn’t necessarily mean arrogance – just confidence, which is a great thing. They aren’t afraid, and they are secure with themselves.
5. Looking Down With Neck Lowered
This is not likely to be one of the positive body language cues. It usually indicates shyness or shame. This form of body language can mean that one is a bit more on the timid side or that one might feel embarrassed about something.
6. Hands On Hips
This can indicate aggression or wanting to show a position of power and allows you to date with confidence. It’s all about context, so pay attention to whether the vibe is negative; if it is, their stance is probably aggressive in nature.
7. Playing With Hair
If you are talking to a woman and she is twirling or playing with her hair, this is one of the body language cues that can indicate flirtation.
8. Crinkled Eye Smile
If their smile causes them to have crinkled eyes, that is pure, genuine smiling. This is a very good sign of first-date chemistry!
9. Clenched Jaw
A clenched jaw equals stress. Whether it’s about the stress of talking to you or something totally unrelated, something stressful is almost certainly on their mind.
10. Constant Eye Contact
If someone is holding eye contact with you, they are trying to connect with you and are confident about doing so.
11. Open Palms
If their palms are open, they are open to talking to you and feeling receptive about the possibilities between the two of you.
Now, these are just some of the body language cues out there. Of course, there are plenty more. Interpreting body language is a skill that applies everywhere, but when we’re talking about a person you’d like to spend the rest of your life with, you can be sure you’ll be paying more attention to every little detail. When you become familiar with the other person enough to read body language cues, you’ll be able to better understand how that person is feeling and help them feel more comfortable. It will also help you identify red flags. Today, we’ll discuss how body language signs impact relationships without saying anything at all.
Importance of Nonverbal Communication
The practice of nonverbal communication is one we don’t often think about, yet we leave it on display for everyone to see each day. Whether it’s your outward expression or physical habits, most people close to you will sense your energy, even more so if you are interacting with them face-to-face. People are going to notice how you carry yourself at any given moment, but a partner is going to be psycho-analyzing your behaviors to determine if you’re a truly compatible couple.
There are many different types of nonverbal cues that may present themselves at any given time, including but not limited to facial expressions, hand gestures, body posture, touch and spatial awareness, vocal tone, and eye contact. Common body language understanding will tell you that these signs often complement the verbal communication that accompanies the situation, in addition to providing an emotional reaction of some sort that is responding directly or indirectly to what the other person has said or done. This helps provide context and validation to the words spoken and makes their feelings more apparent.
However, nonverbal communication doesn’t mean non-physical, and lots of times, the movements people make with their arms and hands, or even engagements that literally reach out and touch you, can be interpreted in a certain way. There can be the establishment of trust when someone nods to directions or decides to place their hand upon another’s shoulder to console or reassure them. But it can also indicate cues of deception, like fidgeting, failing to make eye contact, or simply behaving out of the ordinary. It’s important to monitor the mannerisms of your partner because how they behave could signal something in your relationship that needs to be addressed. Or, it could simply affirm that you’re both on the same page.
Understanding Positive Body Language
There’s almost nothing better than when your companion reciprocates your actions with positive body language, and you will undoubtedly begin to act the same when you both develop a deeper relationship with each other. Positive reinforcement is a concept we’re all familiar with, but when it comes to dating, it’s the verifying signal that your partner is along with you for the ride. Whether it be encouragement, laughter, or helpfulness during a difficult time, the positive body language shown by the person you’re with will show you when they agree or support your endeavors or feelings.
Some of the easiest positive body language cues to pick up on are smiles, head nods, and focused eye contact. These show a receptive and engaged nature and are usually backed by an open posture with a relaxed, welcoming demeanor. This can also be achieved by gesturing and mirroring the other person in a way that replicates their excitement or feelings, allowing them to know you’re sharing in their joy of the moment. When you or your date are able to reaffirm each other during times of celebration and positivity, you’ll begin to build empathy, which will only strengthen your bond over time.
Positive body language almost always helps form intimacy between both parties, and without knowing how the other person values what you say or do, you’ll never be able to form a close enough connection if you cannot empathize and come together over your feelings. Communication, whether verbal or nonverbal, is still a two-way street, and your body language has as much of a reciprocal impact as theirs does on you. So, while you may have to be willing to give up your vulnerability, showing positive body language signs can also help your companion feel more comfortable.
Recognizing Negative Body Language
On the other side of the coin, negative body language can be interpreted as deliberate or unintended depending on the demeanor of an individual, but evidence of a stand-offish person likely shows signs of anxiety, defensiveness, or discomfort. Negative body language can also have to do with insecurity, which can be particularly common in a forum such as online dating. Transferring that digital relationship into a physical one can be a relatively difficult transition, especially if you’re new to dating apps. However, there are ways to identify and deal with these barriers people often put up, and even positive body language signs you can display back to help bring their guard down.
Some of the most common negative signs you can identify when interpreting body language are the inability to hold eye contact, constant fidgeting, or holding crossed arms. All of these avoid giving undivided attention or point to a sort of uncomfortable elephant in the room that the other individual may not even notice. When you yourself become vulnerable, show attentiveness to their actions, and give reaffirming gestures like nods or smiles, your partner may feel less inclined to feel judged or like their perspective isn’t appreciated. Lots of negative body language derives from not feeling heard or seen, which proves why empathy is even more necessary when dealing with negative behavior or reactions.
If you’re evaluating a date for fitness, you’re going to want to determine if the other person’s reluctance is something you’re willing to take on as a challenge or something you’d feel would inhibit your ability to truly grow. Remember, it’s not right to take a “fix-it” mentality into a relationship, so if a prospective match is unwilling to remove the barrier between their negative mannerisms and your abilities to reconcile the communication, it’s likely you’re intuition is warning you of the lack of compatibility between you and that particular person. It’s also important to dictate whether or not someone’s actions appear manipulative because often times, people with ulterior motives will hi-jack the science of body language to appear trustworthy.
Body Language and Emotional Intimacy
As we mentioned earlier, in the later stages of dating, intimacy will inevitably be formed over the evolution of body language understanding by each partner. As time passes, you’ll learn to read the behaviors of the person you’re dating better, and once you can apply that attention to detail and empathy to practical situations in real-time, trust will become established and help the both of you form a bond that expands further into the physical realm, opposed to vaguely interpreting the actions of a stranger. That intimacy can be in the form of physical touch, such as holding hands in a moment of bliss or turmoil, or even in the respect of giving the other person time and space in the midst of a disagreement.
Interpreting body language may become a bit easier as you progress through different stages of dating throughout a relationship, but you should never disregard its significance, no matter how far into it you are. You must always be looking out for body language cues from your partner, as they may indicate a need for encouragement, distress, loneliness, or even disappointment. Working together to build a strong relationship by communicating in these unspoken languages is a way of facilitating constructive growth, and even if you don’t feel like the person you are seeing is fit to unpackage your complexity, these nonverbal communications can also help with introspection and may allow you to determine what your ultimate preferences in a companion actually are.
Cultural Considerations
A significant consideration you must make when it comes to reading body language is that of cultural differences. As you may know, with an extremely diverse melting pot of people not only in the United States but around the world, different gestures, habits, and mannerisms can be interpreted very differently by various cultures. For instance, it’s widely known that the “thumbs up” motion, which is commonly accepted as “good job” or “okay” in Western culture, can be viewed as quite offensive in some Asian nations. Other areas may find it incredibly rude to stare or not give enough personal space when walking by on the sidewalk, which are largely customs that you need to familiarize yourself with if you’re looking to date across different ethnicities or even abroad in another country.
Whether it’s your first date or you’re on your 25th wedding anniversary, keeping a close eye on your partner’s body language and mannerisms will always be crucial to maintaining a strong and healthy relationship. Being able to read and understand the underlying emotions of your significant other shows you have empathy for them and also signifies the willingness you have to always strengthen the bond between you two. No matter if you’re celebrating a positive achievement or consoling during a tough time period, reciprocating body language is a vital form of nonverbal communication that prides itself on establishing confidence and trust.
It’s also good to think about the body language cues you’re giving off. As we know, actions speak louder than words, so how you stand and your hand movements can really tell a lot about how you or someone else is feeling in that given moment.
