Anxiety and Panic Disorders in Teens How to Help a Teenager Struggling With Anxiety by Susan Zeppieri

Author:Susan Zeppieri
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Susan Zeppieri
Published: 2021-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Non-Verbal Communication

There are many different types of nonverbal communication forms ranging from body language, to eye contact, and facial expressions. There are six key skills to master when tackling nonverbal communication because it is thought that nonverbal communication makes up anywhere from 50% to 70% of all communication (NUI Galway, n.d.). The skills consist of body movement and posture, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, touch, and space. Understanding how these can be used to communicate effectively and to help the person you’re speaking to feel more comfortable can help to break down barriers in tackling the issues the teenager you’re speaking to may be coping with.

Body Movement

How do you hold yourself when you’re facing conflict? Do you fold your arms when you hear something you don’t like? Think about how you sit when you’re trying to pay attention to someone. Each of these shifts in posture signifies different levels of attentiveness and how invested we are in the situation at hand. Someone with their arms crossed and their head turned away from the person they’re talking to may signify that they don’t want to hear what is being told to them or are reacting as though they’re encountering conflict. Whereas leaning forward when being spoken to and looking to the person speaking shows you are actively invested in what is being said.

Facial Expressions

When we think of happiness, often the facial expression we associate with it is a smile or laughter. Sadness may be a frown or tears. The face can convey so many emotions in a matter of seconds and mastering how we portray these emotions can help to create an empathetic connection with the person you’re communicating with.

Gestures

Gestures creep into our nonverbal communication whether we realize it or not. Waving hello to someone or pointing out an item in a shop window are both gestures that create more of a narrative for our everyday language. With this in mind, different gestures mean different things to different people. If you’re communicating with someone who has experienced certain traumas, you may want to be aware of how your gestures may impact them and take a different approach to how you express these movements.

Eye Contact

Eye contact is one of the most important types of nonverbal communication as our sight is one of the most dominant senses we possess. Eye contact or lack of eye contact can convey all sorts of emotions. Further, it is important to maintain as it can show you if the person you’re communicating with is actively involved in the conversation you’re having, as you can observe facial queues more easily.

Touch

Touch can be a more intimate form of communication and it’s advised you don’t just walk up to people and touch them to get their attention. There’s a whole plethora of legalities in place to punish those kinds of behaviors. But in the instance where you know the person you’re communicating with and want to show them support, as long as they have signified it is okay to do so, a pat on the back or a hug can go a long way.

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