We don’t just communicate with our words. We also communicate with how we hold ourselves, our facial expressions, our hand gestures, and more.
In fact, you might not even notice you’re communicating via your body language. Thus, it can pay to know different types of body language and how to understand them.
The unfortunate truth is that people don’t always verbally communicate what they mean. And no, this doesn’t necessarily mean they are lying. In reality, it might just mean they aren’t the best at verbal communication (none of us are perfect!).
A workaround for this? You can try and try to get someone else to improve their communication, but at the end of the day, you can only control you. This means that learning about types of nonverbal communication can take you far and help you deter miscommunications or interpretations.
So, let’s get into it. How can you read others?
When talking about reading body language, psychology is probably the first thing that pops into your mind. Nonverbal communication gives clues into a person’s psychology and what they are truly thinking, no matter what they might be verbally communicating.
Interestingly, body language varies from culture to culture. What is considered okay in one culture might be seen as insulting in another. In other words, it’s also always a good idea to ask someone what they are thinking when you’re getting mixed signals.
Straight and direct is definitely the way to go over making assumptions that could result in a serious disagreement.
But back to nonverbal cues…
Body language in nonverbal communication includes:
In fact, knowing how to read others' body language can help you better understand the people you see or hang out with regularly. This might actually help alleviate some social anxiety, especially when it comes to getting back in the groove of seeing friends and family regularly. So, let’s dig a bit deeper.
What is Stonewalling? 6 Signs, 8 Causes & Tips to Promote Open Communication→
Types of nonverbal communication are more than just body language. Some more nonverbal communication examples and types include:
Related Article: Active Listening: What Is It & 7 Techniques to Improve Your Skills
Awareness is step one. This way you can pay attention to how you hold yourself and how you want to come off to the other person.
The next thing to notice is how others are presenting themselves to you. A few ways to take note include:
Related Article: Tough Time Talking It Out? Maybe It’s Time To Learn Better Communication Skills
Pay attention to different types of body language. And watch how you hold yours! As Peter Drucker once said, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
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July 6, 2025
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Great piece of information. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Peter, we're so happy to hear it! 🙂