We’ve all been there – you open a present on Christmas Day or at a work Secret Santa event and it’s a gift you never wanted and never asked for, but you have to act like you love it.
In fact, in the month following last Christmas (December 2021 to January 2022) there were a total of 300,100 searches for ‘returns policy [company name]’ as many rushed to return unwanted gifts received in the festive period.
Fortunately, Funky Pigeon and body language expert Inbaal Honigman have pulled together a must-know guide on how to act like you love those unwanted gifts to save you from any awkward moments.
Really dislike your gift? Here are six key steps to mask the feeling with surprise:
Raise eyebrows up and widen eyes unblinkingly - eyes are the windows to the soul
Send your limbs and facial features far and wide
Put your shoulders up and arms akimbo
Relax your jaw and allow the mouth to open up slightly making an O shape
Turn to the thrilled gift-giver with all expressions, hold the gaze and raise your voice higher to thank them.
Surprise doesn’t last long, so ensure most of these steps are carried out quickly and feel free to drop the act after a few seconds, or you’ll seem to be over-egging it.
And to follow the surprise up with a meaningful thank you, here’s what you need to do:
Clasp your hands together at your chest
Narrow your shoulders
Lower your eyebrows
And with an ‘awwww’ etched all over your face, use a deep, faux-sincere voice to express your thankfulness.
“Surprise and gratitude are the two main emotions you want to convey when opening your Christmas presents in front of the gift-giver”, Honigman commented.
“The beauty of body language analysis is that we’re doing it all the time. We sense whether someone is dishonest, just from the way they hold themselves. So, when you need to fake your body language, your key effort has to go into matching everything up - your words, your posture and your facial expressions have to send the same message.”