- All
- Soft Skills
- Communication
Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community
1
Facial expressions
2
Gestures and movements
3
Posture and alignment
4
Eye contact and gaze
5
Voice and speech
6
Here’s what else to consider
Body language is a powerful form of nonverbal communication that can reveal a lot about how people feel, think, and relate to each other. In team projects, being aware of the body language cues that indicate stress can help you improve your communication, collaboration, and performance. In this article, you will learn about some common signs of stress in body language and how to respond to them effectively.
Top experts in this article
Selected by the community from 24 contributions. Learn more
Earn a Community Top Voice badge
Add to collaborative articles to get recognized for your expertise on your profile. Learn more
-
9
- Taranpreet Kaur Counselling Psychologist | Master Communication Coach at Teenzclap Futureworks| Connecting Education to Ambition |…
6
- The Professor a.k.a Rishi (He/ Stanford, IMI, DPS, Former CXO)
5
1 Facial expressions
One of the most obvious and expressive body language cues is facial expressions. When someone is stressed, they may show it by frowning, grimacing, clenching their jaw, biting their lip, or narrowing their eyes. These expressions can convey tension, frustration, anger, or anxiety. To deal with facial expressions of stress, you can try to empathize with the person, ask them what is bothering them, or offer some support or encouragement. You can also use your own facial expressions to show interest, concern, or positivity.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
First off, understand that body language is the conscious andunconsciousmovements andposturesby whichattitudesand feelings arecommunicated.However, body language is fond among team members during team projects.↳ Here are some of my personal cues that indicate my team is experiencing stress during a team project.→Gestures: These stress gestures include defensiveness, impatience, and nervousness.→Facial expressions: Frowning and grimacing are the most common and noticeable body language when stressed.→Eye contact: People who are stressed barely can maintain eye contact because they become more stressed doing that.→ Posture: The common posture displayed by stressed people is leaning on something, leaning back, etc.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
9
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- The Professor a.k.a Rishi (He/ Stanford, IMI, DPS, Former CXO)
The language of the mind is as important as body language. The person under stress would be absent minded, will not complete sentences, will have concerns on the face, would be inattentive and overall distracted.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
5
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- Vitalii Sergienko Project manager and Sales B2B
When trying to assess the stressful situation in a team, I would pay attention to:1. eyes, its usually either focused to one point, on the contrary, defocused2. voice with elements of irritation, especially when asking additional questions3. tense faces while answering questions
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
4
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
-
Body language is a valuable tool for identifying stress in general, not just in team projects. When a team member is stressed, they may display both physical and non-verbal tendencies. It's important to remember that not everyone is the same and that behaviour can be subjective and vary from person to person.Things to watch out for are... Furrowed brows, clenched teeth, a tense jaw, frowning, frequent eye blinking, and a forced smile.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
4
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Load more contributions
2 Gestures and movements
Another way to spot stress in body language is by observing the gestures and movements of the person. When someone is stressed, they may display nervous or restless behaviors, such as tapping their fingers, shaking their legs, rubbing their hands, or playing with their hair. They may also make abrupt or aggressive gestures, such as pointing, waving, or slamming. These gestures and movements can indicate nervousness, impatience, irritation, or defensiveness. To cope with gestures and movements of stress, you can try to calm the person down, give them some space, or redirect their attention to the task at hand. You can also use your own gestures and movements to show openness, confidence, or cooperation.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Taranpreet Kaur Counselling Psychologist | Master Communication Coach at Teenzclap Futureworks| Connecting Education to Ambition | Educator | Life Skills Trainer | IBM Certified Trainer| Public Speaker
Your body communicate your thoughts. And noticing stress is quite evident be it in teams or individually. Gestures- they’ll keep on fidgeting their hands, moving hands a lot more than oftenEyes- they avoid making eye contact, or probably looking here and there when they are doing a particular taskLips- their lips will often become dry, or they may use their teeth a lot to bite the lips, people often do that when they are anxious or stressed Lot of variation in tones of voice- they may use high pitch or low pitch in between speeches or presentations to show stress or frustration Sweaty hands and nail biting is also a part of stress
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
6
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
-
Anger and restlessness can easily be confused however aggressive actions such as finger pointing, waving, or slamming is cause to take pause. As a leader it is often the better choice to give that person an opportunity to vocalize their concerns, if they are able to state their thoughts clearly and rationally. If the aggressive behavior continues, table the discussion and move to the next topic or end the meeting.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
3
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
-
Gestures and movements often reveal stress. When people are stressed, they often display physical traits that reflect their discomfort. Remember that this will vary among individuals, so we must consider the overall context and the person's normal behaviour. Keep and eye out for things like nail biting, hair twisting/pulling, leg shaking, tapping or drumming fingers, hand-wringing, and avoiding eye contact.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
3
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Load more contributions
3 Posture and alignment
A third way to detect stress in body language is by looking at the posture and alignment of the person. When someone is stressed, they may adopt a closed or rigid posture, such as crossing their arms, hunching their shoulders, or leaning back. They may also avoid or misalign their body with the person they are talking to, such as turning away, looking down, or leaning to one side. These postures and alignments can signal discomfort, resistance, or distrust. To address postures and alignments of stress, you can try to make the person feel more comfortable, invite them to participate, or align your body with theirs. You can also use your own posture and alignment to show respect, interest, or rapport.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Owen Terneus Business Account Manager | Driving results, motivating teamwork, and maximizing efforts in the R2B platform
For this scenario, meeting the customer where they are typically relaxes the situation. Watching for body cues such as slouching, leaning back, or restless are a must to help defeat negative interactions before they occur.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- Vitalii Sergienko Project manager and Sales B2B
The only true understanding of your advantage is that you are cheaper or more productive for the same money than your competitors)) or you can answer any additional question in the context of your responsibilities with an example from your life are previous experience
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
4 Eye contact and gaze
A fourth way to recognize stress in body language is by paying attention to the eye contact and gaze of the person. When someone is stressed, they may have difficulty maintaining or making eye contact, or they may stare intensely or blankly. They may also shift their gaze frequently or avoid looking at the person they are talking to. These eye contact and gaze patterns can indicate fear, confusion, boredom, or hostility. To handle eye contact and gaze of stress, you can try to establish or maintain eye contact, ask them questions, or use humor or compliments. You can also use your own eye contact and gaze to show attention, understanding, or appreciation.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Owen Terneus Business Account Manager | Driving results, motivating teamwork, and maximizing efforts in the R2B platform
Keeping eye contact on a consistent basis is a difficulty in a lot of situations. Being yourself and using honest tactics will help get past the negative emotions/anxiety moments can have.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- Lilian Mwangi Head of Finance | Financial Controller | Finance Manager | Internal Auditor
You could also de-escalate the stress level of the person who won't look you in the eye, by moving to sit by them. Rather than facing them, move to their side. Then you can start by sharing something on your laptop or notepad with them. Once you have the person in a more relaxed state, gently broach the topic of any concerns they are having with the project. Remember to face forward and not look them in the eye, during this part of the discussion. Once any issues have been aired, you can then direct your gaze to them and show earnestness when addressing the issues they have raised.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
5 Voice and speech
A fifth way to identify stress in body language is by listening to the voice and speech of the person. When someone is stressed, they may change their tone, pitch, volume, or speed of their voice, or they may stutter, pause, or repeat themselves. They may also use filler words, such as "um", "like", or "you know", or negative words, such as "but", "no", or "can't". These voice and speech cues can reveal insecurity, uncertainty, or negativity. To respond to voice and speech of stress, you can try to reassure the person, clarify what they are saying, or give them feedback or suggestions. You can also use your own voice and speech to show enthusiasm, clarity, or positivity.
Body language is a key component of communication, especially in team projects. By learning how to recognize and react to the body language cues that indicate stress, you can enhance your communication skills, build trust and rapport with your team members, and achieve better results.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
An active listening is very important when you start to figure out the stress level between the communication. Some of the members are good to hide the emotions/stress in regards when they start to communicate. To counter this, the light weight talk will helpful in outside of the workplace.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- Owen Terneus Business Account Manager | Driving results, motivating teamwork, and maximizing efforts in the R2B platform
Taking a moment to pause before you speak will always help gather you to the point of speaking with no insecurity or stress of next words.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
6 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
This is where empathy may not solve the problem, but it can unconsciously distress a human being. Because we’re all individual, most of us express and deal with stress that are beyond reading body language in a team setting project. It helps to have some understanding of our colleagues to be able to read when someone is displaying an out of character behavior. Withdrawal, avoidance, and quietness in context can indicate stress. However, sometimes it also works on the unconscious. Therefore, the person experiencing stress may not even be aware of it. They may even deny they are experiencing stress.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
3
(edited)
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
- Andy George INTRANET COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST -- Strategic Communications | Project Management | Crisis Communications | Marketing | Presentations | Brand Management | Collaboration | Website Management
Also keep in mind that while some coworkers may clearly, if unconsciously, express their feelings using body language, not everyone will. Some people may be particularly practiced at guarding their emotions. Others may be neuro atypical, which can make their moods more difficult to read. Whatever the case, be sure to solicit feedback informally after a meeting from associates you may not have been able to get a read on during the meeting. It's also a best practice to establish a culture where everyone feels comfortable talking to you one-on-one privately. You can receive more candid feedback that way.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Load more contributions
Communication
Communication
+ Follow
Rate this article
We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great
Thanks for your feedback
Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.
Tell us more
Tell us why you didn’t like this article.
If you think something in this article goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
We appreciate you letting us know. Though we’re unable to respond directly, your feedback helps us improve this experience for everyone.
If you think this goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
More articles on Communication
No more previous content
- Here's how you can optimize communication within a project using technology. 21 contributions
- Here's how you can convey project goals and objectives as a project manager. 31 contributions
- Here's how you can navigate the emerging trends in logical reasoning within the field of communication. 9 contributions
- Here's how you can master successful delegation in the field of Communication. 20 contributions
- Here's how you can navigate interview questions about your long-term career plans. 14 contributions
- Here's how you can navigate the impact of automation on your communication career. 6 contributions
- Here's how you can maximize your communication role by delegating decision-making authority. 8 contributions
- Here's how you can gear up for the rising need of virtual communication in the field of communication. 19 contributions
- Here's how you can assertively express your ideas in meetings. 22 contributions
- Here's how you can effectively navigate difficult clients or situations as a self-employed professional. 6 contributions
- Here's how you can turn your internship experience into a job in Communication. 21 contributions
- Here's how you can craft an engaging portfolio as a self-employed communication professional. 8 contributions
- Here's how you can evaluate the performance of Communication professionals using key metrics and indicators. 8 contributions
- Here's how you can use confidence to negotiate a salary increase. 8 contributions
- Here's how you can navigate interview questions about your public speaking experience. 17 contributions
No more next content
Explore Other Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Public Speaking
- Personal Branding
- Leadership Development
- Analytical Skills
- Thought Leadership
- Critical Thinking
- Leadership
- Research Skills
- Executive Coaching
More relevant reading
- Communication What are some effective ways to use body language when communicating with someone who has anxiety?
- Relationship Building What are the key principles of body language for building better relationships?
- Business Communications What role does body language play in enhancing your self-confidence?
- De-escalation How can you use body language to calm a crisis?