Master Your Body Language By Next Week

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We talk and communicate every day. You likely speak more words on a typical day than you eat, step, or smile combined. That’s because our verbal thoughts are essential parts of our lives, yet our non-verbal language and gestures equally rival them.

The average person speaks about 7,000–16,000 words daily, yet even with all that talking, what you don’t say carries more weight; people tend to gravitate to your non-verbal language (especially if your body language and words conflict). What you don’t say matters

So what gives? Why is what isn’t said so important? What makes our non-verbal communication, on average, more influential than the words we speak? We’ll get to the bottom of that and show you how you can up your body language game in the next week, in and out of rounds.

Body language is your bodily gestures and signals. For our purposes, we aren’t focusing on anything related to tone but simply body language.

We must first understand what "good body language” means to start this body language journey. We already know that negative signals and gestures like a closed-off body and a livid expression are indicators of something not going so well with body language

On the other hand, positive body language shows your confidence and makes you feel open in the appropriate contexts. It means you use purposeful gestures and keep your body relaxed instead of tense. You need to understand what cues others are sending to you and what cues you are sending yourself. Whoever you’re talking with will be able to feel the difference in your demeanor, and that’s everything.

Its Impact on Debate and Public Speaking

We’ve discussed it generally, but now let’s look at it through speech and debate. Here’s why it matters:

• Judges Notice Inconsistencies: Remember what we said about people gravitating towards your nonverbals when they conflict with your words? Well, if your mouth is giving off a strong, powerful delivery but your body language is lagging, your audience will begin to pick up on those small inconsistencies, and they’ll compound. You have to make sure you get it right

• Your Body, Your Confidence: You already know the basics about body language and showing confidence, but have you ever dug deep into why the top public speakers do so well with it compared to the average speech student? It’s because there is more to it. controlled gestures, power cues, and strategic signals. They all use them to their advantage

• Engagement: Your audience will have to do less work to stay focused when you are properly utilizing your nonverbal language! Without over-gesturing, the more you signal and timely use gestures, the more you’ll have a more engaged audience that doesn’t have to fight to stay focused

So, you get why body language matters, but now let’s talk about how to level it up. These aren’t vague “stand tall” platitudes; they’re moves you can practice, tweak, and own. You can sharpen your nonverbal game for debate, speech, or any high-stakes moment. (More bullet points incoming):

Before we handle anything else, though, breathe. Yes, breathe. Tension creeps in fast when you’re wound tight. Clenched fists, stiff necks, and shallow gasps will make your experience much harder. Before you step up or while you’re walking to your position, take a slow, deep breath. Feel your shoulders drop, your core settle. Mid-speech, sip air between points to stay loose. It’s not just about getting that oxygen; it’s about signaling calm to yourself and everyone else. The difference between a frantic speaker and a composed one often comes down to that invisible rhythm.

We’ll start more general and then narrow into specifics in order to achieve your personal goals:

Starting Off:

• The Pause and Plant: Nervous fidgeting kills confidence. Next time you’re making a point, pause for a beat and plant your feet. No swaying, no pacing, just stillness. It signals control and lets your words land harder. Try it in front of a mirror: deliver a line, stop, and hold it for three seconds. You’ll feel the difference.

• Gesture with Purpose: Flailing hands distract and stiff arms bore (this seems to be the choice of many NSDA speakers with keeping their arms relaxed at their sides, so if you are a speech competitor, you may want to opt for that style, but outside of competitive speech that appeal just doesn’t seem to stick). The sweet spot? Controlled, intentional gestures that match your message. Point to emphasize a fact, sweep your hand to paint a big idea, or drop them to signal a mic-drop moment. Watch a TED Talk—pick a speaker you like—and mimic their rhythm. Then, adapt it to YOUR style.

• Lock Eyes, Not Lasers: Eye contact builds trust, but staring down at your audience like a hawk unnerves them. Go for a soft, steady gaze: hold it with one person for a sentence, then shift to another. In a debate, scan the judges or crowd evenly. No favorites. Practice with a friend; if they squirm, you’re overdoing it.

The Power Cues:

According to body language expert, founder of Science of People, and author of Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication, Vannesa Van Edwards, there are “power cues” that signal competence. Here are some she notes:

• The Distance Between the Earlobe and Shoulder: Roll your shoulders down and back; you will feel more confident. You need to make sure you are consciously relaxing them

• Eye Contact at the End: Highly competent people make eye contact specifically at the end of their sentences to drill in a point. If you’re in debate, you can gladly let your eyes look around as you are freeballing responses to your opponent, but at the end of that, lock in eye contact with one of the judges. If you are speech, you can scan the room as usual and then lock eyes with one or more of the judges at the end of an important point to give it more weight

• The Lower Lid Flex: Flexing the lower lid of your eyelids by making a subtle movement or tightening of the lower eyelid is an amazing way to show focus and intensity, especially during a cross-examination in debate. It’ll typically show your concentration and/or determination

Pulling It Together:

Start with one or two of these this week, say, breathing and the pause, and layer in the rest as you go. Film yourself daily (phone’s fine) delivering a short pitch or argument. Watch it again. Cringe, adjust, and repeat. By day seven, you’ll see sharper control, less filler movement, and a vibe that says you own the room. Debate judges, speech audiences, even your boss—they’ll feel it, too. Body language isn’t magic; it’s muscle memory. Work it. You got this.

Remember, even if you don’t see improvements within the next week, think about the improvement you’ll see in two weeks or in a month. As long as you start now and push forward, you will make it. These are skills that you’ll practice for your lifetime, even after your time in speech & debate, so give it your all.

Happy Speaking,

The Forensic Funnel Team