Body language expert reveals three major turn off signs
In the age of online dating and social distancing, many have fallen out of practise with the art of reading body language.
But have no fear, whether you’re brand new to the world of dating or dipping your toes back in, an expert in the matter has shared her tips and tricks on how to tell you’re giving someone the ‘ick’.
Professional counsellor and psychotherapist Adrianne Carter took to her popular TikTok account - where she regularly shares such advice - to teach her audience what she believed would best help them in their pursuit of love, and in avoiding an uninterested other half.
Adrianne launched into her all important list by informing listeners that the first sign someone can show they aren’t interested is by creating distance.
She explained how they might simply lean away, or even move something - like a menu on a dinner date - to create a physical barrier.
“A really simple rule for dates,” she said, “is when someone is leaning in, getting closer to you, it’s probably going well.”
Next up, and perhaps one of the most obvious signs that many will miss, is their facial expression.
“Generally when someone is giving you the ick you will be scrunching up your nose slightly,” Adrianne explained. “When someone doesn’t like someone or has the ick, you will see that nose wrinkling in disgust.
“There will be lots of those expressions, but short flashes of them, it won’t be obvious, but if you look for the signs they will be there.”
And circling back to her first point, she added, “when we are interested in someone, we lean in. If someone doesn’t like you, or doesn’t fancy you, they are more likely to make more space between you and them.”
“Use it as a warning from your body,” she advised. “If I lean back I am not interested in them - your body will always tell you.”
Adrianne’s third sign comes in the form of eye contact.
“Creating lasting eye contact is important,” she stated, before noting that it’s equally as important not to give too much, and people should be aiming for anywhere between 60 to 70 per cent.
“If you do more that can become too intense and aggressive,” was her reason. “It comes across a bit needy like you are waiting for a reaction.”
On a related note, she mentioned that prospective daters are likely to try their hand at ‘peacocking’, participating in the act of wearing or doing something extravagant in a bid to be noticed. Something like playing with your hair, or rolling up your sleeves, can be a sure sign that you’re trying to grab someone’s attention, and vice versa.
Another move someone might pull to let you know they’d like a second date? The “eyebrow flash”, as Adrianne calls it.
“If you want to know if someone likes you and they’re not giving you constant eye contact, watch for this,” she said. “A double eye flash is where someone looks away, looks again and looks again. It is very revealing, it means the person is interested.”
She noted that this last manoeuvre isn’t limited just to dating, with people likely to see it in all areas of their life to demonstrate interest, and that like all good things, it should be accompanied with a smile.
Images: Getty