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5. Stiffening or closed-in body posture You know what YOU do in uncomfortable situations. You fold your arms tightly across your chest. You stiffen your spine You tightly cross your legs. You turn your body at an angle away from
person you are facing You lean away from
person you are with
Of course,
reverse is true when
interaction feels good. You lean forward Your arms are relaxed or laying open to
person You face
other person directly Your posture is relaxed and at ease
It's fairly easy to interpret
closed-in posture. The other person feels uncomfortable They aren't open to
interaction with you They would rather not be there
If this is a first date, it will probably be
last.
6. Physical Contact Perhaps
easiest communication to read correctly is that of touch. If your date avoids taking your hand or putting his arm around you he may be uncomfortable or unsure. He may also be shy, but you would already know that.
If someone you have been dating for a while begins to exhibit changes in their level of eye contact, body posture, attention to you, availability and/or becomes restless or less communicative, pay attention. Their feelings have shifted. Be careful not to be too quick to explain it away. More than one occurrence should set off your silent alarm. Make sure that what they say matches what they don't say.
Other (non-verbal) expressions that you should listen to that can suddenly occur during
course of a dating relationship are: Calling less or not calling Change in voice tone Becoming busy and not having time to get together Lateness Missing dates without calling or having a plausible excuse Moodiness- irritation/impatience/anger outbursts
If your date or boyfriend/girlfriend sends you any of
above (negative) signals,
best way to handle it is to comment in a direct (and gentle) way about it. Then watch for what he/she DOES while you listen to their response. This will give you all
information you need.

Toni Coleman is a licensed therapist and relationship coach. She specializes in working with singles that want to create lasting, intimate relationships. Toni has over 20 years of experience in relationship counseling and coaching. She developed the Creating Lasting Relationships Training, a tele-workshop designed to help singles to define, implement and fulfill their relationship goals. Toni Coleman www.consum-mate.com