Name a nonverbal technique to help calm a tense room.

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Multiple Choice

Name a nonverbal technique to help calm a tense room.

Nonverbal signals set the emotional tone of a tense room, and using calm cues can help de-escalate the situation. Steady, slow breathing slows your own physiological arousal and projects calm to others. A relaxed facial expression shows you’re not threatening, which lowers people's defensiveness. An open, controlled posture—uncrossed arms, a balanced stance, and visible, relaxed hands—conveys openness and safety, encouraging others to mirror that calm and engage more productively. Together, these cues create a sense of safety and control, making it easier for the group to pause, listen, and respond thoughtfully. In contrast, actions that heighten arousal or signal defensiveness—like shouting, folding the arms in a tight, protective way, or avoiding eye contact—tend to raise tension and shut down constructive communication.

Nonverbal signals set the emotional tone of a tense room, and using calm cues can help de-escalate the situation. Steady, slow breathing slows your own physiological arousal and projects calm to others. A relaxed facial expression shows you’re not threatening, which lowers people's defensiveness. An open, controlled posture—uncrossed arms, a balanced stance, and visible, relaxed hands—conveys openness and safety, encouraging others to mirror that calm and engage more productively. Together, these cues create a sense of safety and control, making it easier for the group to pause, listen, and respond thoughtfully.

In contrast, actions that heighten arousal or signal defensiveness—like shouting, folding the arms in a tight, protective way, or avoiding eye contact—tend to raise tension and shut down constructive communication.

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