The process of transmitting a message, sentiment, or idea through physical movements, posture, and facial expressions is considered nonverbal communication. Although the study’s exact statistics—which showed that only 7% of any message is relayed through words, 38% through vocal elements such as tone, and 55% through nonverbal elements such as posture and gesture—are often disputed, the study’s findings show that the majority of communication is nonverbal.

You can glance the other way if you don’t want to participate in a conversation. You convey “I am not interested” without saying anything.

Gestures, postures, signs, and cues are examples of nonverbal communication. Every day, we send and receive many nonverbal cues in our personal and professional lives.

1. What Exactly Does Body Language Imply?

Information is passed without spoken or written words in nonverbal communication. Eye contact (oculesics) or lack thereof, facial expressions, gestures, posture, personal appearance, the physical environment and the artifacts/objects that make it up, touch (haptics), paralanguage (vocals), the use of time (chronemics), and the distance between you and your audience are all part of the nonverbal platform (proxemics).

For instance, when canvassing for an appointment, we may not understand that employers are as interested in what we do as what we communicate. Crossed arms can appear defensive, the poor stance can appear unskillful, and a below glimpse (dodging eye contact) can detract from the confident vision you wish to project.

2. What Studies Show Regarding the Use of Non-Verbal Communication?

The importance of nonverbal communication cannot be overstated. According to Albert Mehrabian, only around 7% of communication is verbal, a pioneer in body language. This figure should never be mistaken with the overall number of ways we communicate. Nonverbal communication, such as body language and emotions, accounts for most communication. We can communicate with gestures and facial expressions, for example.

93% of human communication is nonverbal. The “7% rule” was based on misunderstandings about UCLA research from the 1960s. But this study only focuses on spoken words. People who do not communicate using gestures are not communicating with other people. Instead, they convey a message by directing their body and eyes to another person. By focusing on their bodies and faces, we can show interest in what the other person says.

The Mehrabian formula was the most recognized and extensively used of the many studies on nonverbal communication. It compares a person’s attitude’s vocal and face components and suggests that the postural component should take precedence if the person cannot adequately communicate their feelings vocally. In other words, even though we communicate primarily through words, our body language can influence how we interpret and comprehend what we hear.

The research also sheds light on why people communicate with one another. They can communicate in several different ways. A person may, for example, employ a hand gesture to communicate a sentiment or a tone of voice to express a particular emotion. This means we don’t use words commonly used in this manner. The better we comprehend each other’s language and culture, the more we communicate.

3. Difference between Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication:

Verbal Communication – Communication with Words

In a nutshell, verbal communication is communicating. However, it refers to any communication involving words, whether spoken, written, or signed, in a more extensive sense. Reading the news, conversing with friends, sending text messages to friends, and so on are all examples of verbal communication. Our ability to communicate with a language through the organized use of words, rather than just noises, distinguishes us from animals. Aside from language, as the world has progressed, technology has emerged to connect regardless of physical distance.

Non-Verbal Communication- Communication without Words

Nonverbal communication encompasses all messages that do not include spoken words. For example, a smile on our friends’ faces when they see us, even before they say a word of greeting when we see them after a long period shows that they are pleased to see us. Body language includes gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and body posture, among other things.

4. Importance of Non-Verbal Communication:

• To begin with, it should be noted that nonverbal communication is crucial in communicating our feelings. Nonverbal gestures are the first thing our recipients notice, even before hearing a single word. Happy, content, confident, startled, eager, exhausted, stressed, sorrowful, and so on are examples of emotions. Almost all of these are represented through various body motions and facial expressions. We can understand each other by judging each other’s facial expressions. When someone tears, for example, it indicates that something has happened to them, and others may be able to assist.

• Second, it is critical for establishing and maintaining interpersonal interactions. Interpersonal communication refers to exchanging information between people through words, tone of voice, posture, and facial expressions. We can develop trust in partnerships and help assess faithfulness through interpersonal communication. And only through the use of verbal and nonverbal communication is this feasible.

• Thirdly, non-verbal communication is a prominent supporter of verbal interaction. Infect they supplement each other and give whole meaning. Because non-verbal communication can repeat the spoken message: contradict the message that individual is trying to convey; emphasize the message, substitute or complement meaning to make it understand clearly.

• Fourthly, non-verbal communication also reflects an individual’s personality. “Personality is the entire mental organization of a human being at any stage of his development. It embraces every phase of human character: intellect, temperament, skill, morality, and every attitude that has been built up in the course of one’s life.”

• Finally, nonverbal communication is essential in rituals like greetings and farewells. When we see someone we recognize from afar, we smile a lot about the value of nonverbal communication. Waving our hands in the air to say goodbye is another form of nonverbal communication.

5. Types of Non-Verbal Communication:

Body Language

Nonverbal communication through body language is very efficient. Facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, and space utilization can reveal a lot about a person. Actor Amitabh Bachchan is one of the most well-known examples, whose effective body language gave his angry young man persona in his early films an aura. By observing people’s postures and gestures, you can read their body language.

Gestures

Another type of nonverbal communication is gestures. In different settings, certain gestures could signify different things. Have you seen people communicate using sign language? Every hand gesture has a specific meaning. Even in everyday interactions, most of us employ gestures like nodding or giving thumbs-up or a high five, whether we realize it or not.

Para-Linguistics

Another type of nonverbal communication is gestures. Have you ever witnessed someone utilizing sign language to communicate? Every movement of the hand has a meaning. Whether consciously or unconsciously, most of us utilize gestures like nodding or giving a thumbs-up or a high five during everyday interactions. In specific settings, various gestures could signify different things.

Eye Contact

Without speaking a word, eyes are an efficient communication technique for conveying messages. A person’s eye contact reveals a lot about them. Those who avoid eye contact, for example, are generally seen as shy or insecure.

Facial Expression

Our facial expressions reflect a vast spectrum of emotions, from a simple lip movement to raising eyebrows and shifting the gaze. Some facial expressions have a great deal of power. A grin, for example, makes any circumstance easier to deal with.

6. How to Improve Non-Verbal Communication Skills?

Mindfulness can help individuals better understand their nonverbal communication styles and the communication styles of others. For example, during a conversation, a person might actively consider gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, body movement, and the other person’s reaction to these parts of communication. Bringing one’s attention to the current moment and paying attention to facial expressions or posture might help one become more self-aware and interact more effectively with others.

Recognizing and understanding another person’s nonverbal clues requires maintaining awareness of one’s own and others’ emotions. Nonverbal communication is influenced by stress as well. People who are stressed are more likely to misinterpret others and to put forth verbal signals that confuse others. Stress management can help you improve your verbal interactions and relationships.

7. Why Is It Important to be Mindful of Our Nonverbal Signs Regularly?

I believe that simply understanding the significance of nonverbal communication is insufficient; we also need to understand and be aware of various nonverbal indications in today’s globalized society where cultures and customs are exchanged. We must keep cultural differences in mind when using or understanding nonverbal cues. For example, the handshake, which is widely accepted as a greeting or confirmation of a business contract in Western cultures, may not be accepted in other cultures, confusing.

Note to Remember

Our interactions and connections with others are defined by verbal and nonverbal communication, reflecting a person’s physical and psychological well-being. Understanding the various forms and characteristics of verbal and nonverbal communication and their importance in playing roles in all types of daily encounters is the first step toward improving constructive communication and nurturing relationships.