Body Language of Hand To Cheek
Cue: Hand To Cheek
Synonym(s): Cheek Touching, Head Against Hand, Knuckles Against Side Of Head.
Description: When the head rests on the hand or the hand touches the cheek.
In One Sentence: The hand to cheek signals boredom.
How To Use it: Use the hand to cheek to show others that you are tired or bored and want to escape.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m bored or tired and my hand makes a great pillow or sleep support, pardon me while I get some shut eye.”
Variant: Sometimes only the index finger will come up and be lightly held against the cheek with the head slumping into it. See Hand Supporting The Chin, Finger Moving Up The Chin.
Cue In Action: The presenter had better ramp up his demonstration as most of the crowd was nodding off with their heads propped up with their hands.
Meaning and/or Motivation: When the head is rested on the cheek it is if the head has found its pillow. It indicates boredom, disinterest and fatigue.
We usually see light touching of the cheek just before people start to nod off. The degree to which the head is held indicates the level of boredom or tiredness. At times hand to the face can be evaluative, but usually they will strike the chin rather than the cheek.
Cue Cluster: Watch for eyes drooping or closing, eyes away or down, blank empty faces, and shoulders slumped over.
Body Language Category: Adaptors, Boredom, Closed body language, Disengagement.
Resources:
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