What Kind of Body Language Would a Teenager Have When Nervous?

If you want to be able to tell if your teenager is nervous, take a look at his often silent, yet revealing, body language. Writing on the "Psychology Today" website, author and ex-FBI counterintelligence agent Joe Navarro points out that a person̵7;s feelings and emotions are processed in the limbic system of the brain. Since this area of the brain doesn̵7;t think and only reacts, body language can more clearly indicate how your teen is feeling than the words he speaks.

  1. Posture

    • Your teen̵7;s shoulders can give you a silent clue as to how he is feeling. Notice if they are lifted upright and move with the body or slumped forward and seemingly weighed down. Navarro states that the latter may indicate that your teenager is nervous, insecure or maybe even depressed.

    Body Movements

    • The way he moves his body, even small movements, can give you a signal on how he is feeling. If he turns his body away from you or another person while she is talking to him, it may indicate that he feels uncomfortable. Fidgeting with his clothes or small objects and wringing of the hands can indicate that your teen is nervous, as does excessive shifting of his body weight. He may also scratch behind his neck or head or fold his arms in front of his body as if he is shielding it from the world.

    Eye Movements

    • The Mayo Clinic points out that people who are confident and assertive make regular eye contact. If you teen is nervous or unsure of himself, he may direct his gaze down or make little or no eye contact. He may also blink more than normal when he is anxious or nervous.

    Tone of Voice

    • Listening to your teen talk can help you understand his mood better. Don̵7;t just focus on the words he uses; pay attention to the tone. According to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, if your teen sounds breathless or unsure, or speaks rapidly, he may be nervous.

    Sweating

    • If his body movements and mannerisms are confusing or unreadable, take a closer look to see if he is sweating or wiping sweat from his hands onto his clothes. According to Kids Health, it̵7;s common for a teenager to sweat when he is nervous because emotions can have an effect on his body̵7;s sweat glands. As a teen̵7;s body goes through the various changes of puberty, one of the changes is that his sweat glands become more active than normal. This is especially true about the sweat glands in the armpits, the palms of his hands, the bottoms of his feet and the groin area. Sweating is not exclusive to nervousness, but it can accompany this emotion.

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