The Ultimate Body Language Book

indicates stress, not happiness.
Clenching and gripping are signals of frustration and restraint. They are very different then the relaxed
palm in palm gesture discussed in a previous chapter. A classic gripping posture happens when the hand
opposite reaches behind the back and grabs the wrist of the opposite arm. We know it shows frustration
because it serves to relieve tension through gripping, an energy displacement mechanism, and serves to
show restraint because the hand is gripping the arm in effort to prevent them from striking out against
another person.
Gripping, especially intensely, helps us feel more relaxed because the pain releases pleasure hormones
and adrenaline. The same could be achieved through more constructive mechanisms like running,
exercise, or constructing something useful, but like all forms of body language, the solutions come
from an archaic part of the brain through evolution (or accident), so we are not interested in doing
constructive work at a time when our minds are dealing with stress. In other words, we just want a
quick, immediate fix for the anxiety, and wringing the hands helps sooth and pacifies us without having
to leave the area. Most minds deal poorly with stress and can’t function normally without dealing with
the source, so the last thing we want to do is leave the area in which the problem has arisen without a
solution. Wringing the hands is a gesture that is seen in people the world over. At times the fingers may
become interlaced appearing as if in prayer, which might even be the case. Pressure can be so great that
the fingers can even blanch as blood flow is impeded.