Proxemics in the bedroom

  The bedroom is typically a private room designed from an individual’s reflection of one’s personality.  The bedroom is one of our primary territories looked at with high importance. The psychology behind how we incorporate proxemics into our bed room design is astounding.
    Privacy is an important commodity in everyone’s life. It is a boundary- control process that regulates our nonverbal interaction with others. When living in a small college apartment with three other girls, any kind of privacy is hard to come by. I have adapted my own communication privacy management as a way to establish my own space around the apartment. With the use of proxemics I have organized my room to focus on the three fundamental areas of proxemics: space, distance and territory, thus creating the social order and intimate environment I desire.
     When first glancing into my room, the main focal point is my bed positioned right in the middle of my room. This places you in the correct mind set because a bedroom is an area primary used for sleep. Since a bedroom is typically a place of relaxation and rest there are many objects that we label as our primary territories. In my room I would place my bed and clothing as my most important primary territories. By adorning my bed with sheets and pillows of my choice I am clearly marking that this is my possession and that any kind of territorial violation will not be welcomed.
     The other semi fixed features in my room have ways to convey meaning to both myself and to others. The Television in my room may be in the corner but it is definitely in a socio-petal space. The way it is diagonally positioned against the wall makes it simple for everyone to see it in my room no matter where they stand, promoting involvement and bringing everyone together. While my clothing in the back corner creates a socio- fungal feel because those are more personal items, it is preferable that they are withdrawn in the corner and not out for everyone to see.
       I have signaled that this room is my territory by the use of indexical markers. I have decorated my walls with things that have personal meaning to me like my sorority letter and pictures of my family and friends. By the use of proxemics and how you design your room can nonverbally alter the messages you’re sending. Keeping the fundamentals of proxemics in mind can teach you to convey the nonverbal messages you desire.

                                   

The Reflexive Cycle

Scrunching your forehead, rolling your eyes and playing with your hair all forms of nonverbal communication, but are these nonverbal actions truly conveying the emotions that we pair with them. With use of the reflexive cycle you are able to look at yourself and work in changing undesirable behaviors as they relate to social experiences. Personal expectations of behaviors such as twirling/ playing with your hair in social situations can be taken in to consideration with use of the reflexive cycle.

     When looking at my own nonverbal behaviors I came to the conclusion that I was unaware of the cues that playing/twirling with my hair produced. A habit formed as a young child has now become a subconscious action. This action that is comforting and normal to me is not giving off the impression that I’m intending. For women, twirling/ playing with their hair is seen as a flirting gesture. I’ve realized that when twirling my hair in formal situations I’m giving off the sense that I’m bored or disinterested, even acting impatient giving off a nonverbal message that I have better things to do
To make sure I’m not sending off those negative nonverbal messages I need to make a change in my behaviors. The first step that will make a large difference in my tendency to play with my hair is pulling it up and away from my face. I have made myself knowledgeable about the triggers that lead to me playing with my hair, when those situations occur I now know that I need to keep my hands occupied.When watching the nonverbal actions of others I admire, I’ve learned what nonverbal communicative actions are appropriate for different situations. When seeing someone else is playing with their hair I automatically pin them with the valley girl stigma. I noticed that it is very hard to take an adult seriously, because when playing with your hair it is giving off a child-like essence.
Nonverbal communication has such an effect on how we interact with others. I now see how my nonverbal behavior shapes how others act towards and intermingle with me. Without playing with my hair I am much easier to approach. Since I’m no longer giving off that “valley girl” stigma I’ve notice that when interacting with others I am receiving more respect.
       With the reflexive cycle I became more mindful of my own nonverbal behaviors I’m aware of the distorted perception that can result from nonverbal. This has helped me further develop my ability to convey the message I’m aiming for. The reflexive cycle was a success for me I’ve seen what message that playing with my hair has been giving out and I am now better equipped to cope and respond to situations without giving off the negative aspects that come along with playing with my hair.