Paralinguistics
This is a mixture of tone, pitch, inflection, and volume. These nonverbal traits of communication make you think of how you are stating the message, not what the message is.
Did you speak in a monotone voice?
Did you raise your voice during part of the message?
Any of these traits could potentially change how the message’s meaning is interpreted.
Facial Expressions
These play a crucial role in the communication process. When you are speaking face-to-face with a patient and have a smile on your face, the message is going to be received in a more positive manner than if you were frowning. Facial expressions allow an individual to show a broad range of emotions, assisting in the presentation and reception of a message.
Gestures
Gestures give individuals the ability to communicate without speaking. You can point to someone or something to communicate a message. An individual can wave his or her hand to someone to say goodbye. These are movements, and no words are necessary.
Eye Contact
This is another form of communication that can sometimes be misinterpreted. If someone is avoiding eye contact, one may think that he or she is trying to hide something. If an individual is making good eye contact, one thinks the person is listening and being honest.
Appearance
Appearance can make or break the communication process. If one presents him- or herself in an unprofessional or unclean manner, an individual is not going to pay attention because the individual is thinking the person does not care about appearance or about the message being presented.
Body Language
An example of this could be one’s legs or arms being crossed in a meeting. When that movement is made, it comes across as the person being closed off to the conversation. People should ensure that they are not portraying negativity with body language; they should ensure that they have the words to back up a message.
Proxemics
This is the amount of space a person maintains between him- or herself and the receiver of the message. When speaking with a patient, providers should give the patient a distance of 18 inches to 4 feet.