I came across this post – 18 Ways To Improve Your Body Language on The Positivity Blog and thought it was really valuable.

I’ve always been fascinated with the study of body language. I believe you really can tell if a person is “open” to what you’re saying or if they’re “closed” by the way they’re positioning they’re physical body.Arms crossed across the chest suggest “closed”, while arms at sides and leaning in towards you suggests “open”.

Henrik explains 18 different body postures or actions and what he believes they convey. My favorite is #8.

8. Smile and laugh – lighten up, don’t take yourself too seriously. Relax a bit, smile and laugh when someone says something funny. People will be a lot more inclined to listen to you if you seem to be a positive person. But don’t be the first to laugh at your own jokes, it makes you seem nervous and needy. Smile when you are introduced to someone but don’t keep a smile plastered on your face, you’ll seem insincere.

You can read the original post here: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2006/10/27/18-ways-to-improve-your-body-language/