life skills
Words Laura Potter. Photographs Stocksy
Despite what some may claim, we’re not a nation of snowlakes who have suddenly become hypersensitive to our personal space. In fact, it’s scientiically accepted that every human has a requirement for ‘peripersonal space’, which is the region of space immediately surrounding our bodies. When it’s invaded, we feel uncomfortable. ‘We are very sensitive to space for survival reasons’, says Joe Navarro, ex-counterintelligence special agent for the FBI, expert in nonverbal communication and author of The Dictionary Of Body Language (Harper Thorsons, £9.99). ‘When somebody gets too close, the limbic system is aroused, so your survival mechanism immediately goes into efect and you begin to go through physiological changes, including an increased heart rate, tensed muscles, and anxiety.’
KNOW YOUR NEEDS
It’s normal human behaviour for our ‘peripersonal space’ requirements to vary. ‘It’s based on a few things’, says Navarro. ‘Primarily, it’s cultural. I was born in Cuba, where people talk at very close range – in fact, when people are too far away, we perceive them to be cold and insensitive. In Nordic countries, people are much further apart. There are also personal needs – having lived in the US for decades, my need for personal space is much greater than it was. It’s also diferent for genders, and age plays a part as well.’