Body Posture: A Strategy for Better Dental Practice Communication
Your body posture is how you hold your body while standing, sitting or lying down. Your various daily postures are mostly unintentional or unconscious and are aligned with your physical and mental health and level of fitness.
Although you might not realize it, posture is an important component in the nonverbal messages you communicate to others. It conveys whether you’re tense or relaxed, your status, whether you’re confident and assured or not, and if you’re open or closed to communicating. Just being aware of your posture and any adjustments needed can help you feel better and make the right impression in your professional and personal life. By using self-talk reminders to stay aware — and applying a few exercises to stretch and strengthen your muscles — your posture can become an important ally.
Communicating with an open posture can help your patients, team members and others see you as more positive, more persuasive and willing to interact. Here are some tips for creating an open body posture:
- • Overall, your posture should be relaxed, but keep your back straight; this communicates comfort and confidence.
- • Keep your legs uncrossed, with your feet slightly apart.
- • Keep your arms uncrossed, with your palms exposed or relaxed at your side.
- • Complement your open posture with a confident tone of voice.
Have you used or seen open postures used for better chairside/front desk care and communication? If so, please share!
