We rarely consider the feet when thinking about body language, yet our feet are one of the most honest parts of the body, signalling intention. A basic understanding of feet direction can improve the way we interact socially, across all areas of our life, from knowing when someone is really into you, to knowing who and when to approach at a networking event or party.

I don’t want to increase anybody’s anxiety, but a recent study found that people with high levels of anxiety were rated less positively by conversation partners. To add insult to injury, conversation partners have a reduced desire for future interactions with people with social anxiety disorder. Before you slump into defeat, let’s get to the bottom of this, then look at some practical solutions.

In this post, we focus on first impressions–how important are they and why? And how this relates to you and your personal presentation. We touch on two related concepts, confirmation bias and impression updating.