Can our non-verbal, body language show that we suffer from depression or anxiety?
It’s no secret that our facial expressions tell more than we think, but there are some other signs that can express how we feel, even when we don’t say a word about it.
Body posture and our speaking volume can reflect our emotions, too.
We are creating this blog post with the purpose of spreading awareness about recognizing depression in others.
They may not tell you about their problems or ask for help, but you can know that someone has depression or anxiety issues by closely watching their body language.
This is how people express depressive and anxious feelings through non-verbal communication:
1. What do their facial expressions look like?
Most of the time, facial expressions will be limited in people who are sad or depressed. For those who don’t know much about mental health, such people can appear uninterested or tired.
Avoiding eye contact is not only linked to being shy, but these people are probably trying to escape social interactions for many reasons.
Excessive blinking, for example, could be a sign of high levels of anxiety. If you notice darting eyes, be sure that you are kind to the person you’re talking to.
Many will also have trouble with maintaining eye contact. People in the grieving process experience overstimulation in social settings.
2. Body posture.
The next thing we want to talk about is body posture and the movements.
For depression, you will easily notice how the person has slouched shoulders, a downward gaze, and slow, lethargic movements.
In anxiety, it’s quite the opposite. They will appear really fast to you, by expressing restless movements. Tapping fingers or bouncing a leg is common and can show that someone is very nervous.
3. Speaking & non-verbal communication.
Recognizing depressed people when they talk is not hard. They will usually have a soft-spoken voice that may represent low energy, but can also tell the other person that they are not interested in continuing that conversation.
For anxiety, people can talk fast and usually make mistakes while speaking, even about the simplest things.
4. Touch.
Let’s talk about personal space for a bit. People who are depressed truly don’t want to have physical contact. Those who have experienced trauma may try to avoid hugs and even handshakes.
Anxious people need more personal space because in the other way they would start to feel uncomfortable and as if you have attacked them.
Besides recognizing these patterns in others, you can recognize them in yourself as well and try to work on your self-awareness.
Learning about your non-verbal communication can help you discover the triggers, as well as understand your emotions and how & when they happen.
Therapists can also often encourage body-awareness techniques, such as mindfulness, grounding exercises, and posture corrections, to help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety.
