Body Language And Eye Contact

Your eyes are one of the most expressive parts of your body. Studying a person’s body language and eye contact will also help you to determine their mood or intentions.

Your eyes can tell someone whether you are anxious, happy, surprised or upset – without saying a single word!

We’ve already discussed the importance of maintaining direct eye contact to make you appear confident. But your eyes can also signify a wide range of emotions.

Just think of those classic horror movies where the beautiful heroine is wide-eyed with fright. One close-up of her huge round eyes will convey her fear much better than any words.

Read on to discover what your eyes may be saying about you…

Your eyes can reveal you’re nervous.

There’s a very good reason many professional poker players wear sunglasses during a game.

They don’t want their eyes to give away all their secrets!

One of the first signs that a person is nervous can be seen in their eyes. Direct eye contact is a sign that you are confident and will help to establish a sense of trust.

On the other hand, anxious, tense individuals will often look down at the ground instead of directly at you. They may also look all around a room or dart side to side.

In fact, we even have a term to indicate someone who appears nervous or guilty by their eyes alone - “shifty eyes”!

Your eyes can indicate you’re angry.

There is no better way to tell if a person is angry than by looking at their eyes. Body language and eye contact go hand in hand.

Deep penetrating stares, furrowed brows or bulging eyes – these are all warning signs that you better watch out!

Kenny Loggins even wrote a song about this called “Angry Eyes”:

Well, I bet you wish you could cut me down

With those angry eyes

What a shot you could be if you could shoot at me

With those angry eyes

I’m sure you have all experienced this phenomenon first hand. You will probably never forget the first time you were given “the evil eye” or experienced a “look that could kill”!

Admit it, you may have even shot a few daggers from your own eyes in a moment of anger…

Your eyes can convey you’re bored.

What is one of the first visible signs that a person is bored?

If you guessed rolling your eyes, you’re absolutely right!

Okay, walking away from a conversation while you are in mid-sentence is another strong hint.

So we’ll consider eye rolling the second most visible sign.

It’s just like saying “oh no, here we go again…” or “I’ve heard this many times before…” but using body language instead of words. One roll of the eyes says it all!

Teenagers are masters of the art of eye rolling. They often spend years perfecting their technique and take every opportunity they can to practice. Especially when they’re talking to their parents!

Repeatedly glancing at a clock or watch is another way your eyes can let someone know you’re tired of the conversation.

Body language and eye contact can “speak” much louder than words. So during your next conversation, pay careful attention to what your eyes are saying.

Don’t look down, shift your eyes, offer a penetrating stare or roll your eyes.

They say the eyes are the window to your soul. Avoid inappropriate eye gestures and keep those windows wide open!

This article is about body language and eye contact. Click here to return to 'Body Language'.