NIVEA mark their 100th birthday with a celebration of closeness in modern Britain !

Professor Geoff Beattie , a psychologist who has conducted research into modern closeness on behalf of Nivea has drawn up a formula for getting closer to those you love!  Humans are a naturally social species and it is only our relentless progress with technology that has distracted us - it's time to get back to a'huggin an a'kissin!  Here are his top tips for improving your CQ - your closeness quotient!

1. Develop instant rapport

Don’t know someone that well? Mirror the timing of their movements. This doesn’t mean copying them exactly – which may look obvious – but make an action of some kind whenever they do. For example, when they reach for the menu, pick up your glass. People with natural rapport do this automatically, but you can recreate it to help someone feel more relaxed in your presence.

2. Never say ‘nice’!

Compliments are an obvious way to encourage warm feelings, but steer clear of anything that sounds formulaic and therefore insincere – such as ‘your dress is nice’. The n-word, as a general rule, is best avoided. A more original compliment will sound more genuine – for example: ‘I’ve always wanted a haircut like that. Who does it for you?’

3. Share a secret

Personal disclosure – in other words, revealing something most people don’t know about you – is one of the key components of closeness and is essential for strengthening bonds with a new friend. It doesn’t have to be a big revelation (which may not be appropriate!) – admitting you’re upset because you had an argument with your sister that morning, for example, would be enough to make the other person feel you’ve taken them into your confidence. 

4. Pay attention

While sharing information about yourself is essential, it goes both ways. Listen closely when your new friend is talking to you, and show positive regard – not just with words, but also with non-verbal communication such as maintaining eye contact and smiling and nodding at the right moments.

5. Get touchy

Hugging and arm-linking may not feel quite right in the early stages of a friendship, but a light tap on the shoulder or hand could make the other person feel unconsciously closer to you.

Do you agree with the theory that humans are losing their natural social skills?  Do you feel Facebook and Twitter are driving a wedge between people and face to face contact will diminish as the years go by?  Or that humans will naturally crave personal touch as it is in our genes and we will seek it out in other ways? 

Join the NIVEA debate on closeness in the Feel Closer debate at facebook.com/niveauk and have your say! 

 NIVEA are also giving the British public the chance to upload their "Moments of Closeness" and win a prize!  Take a picture of yourself and someone you are fond of and every day a winner will be selected by Professor Beattie to receive a £100 prize!  You can either upload your snaps to Facebook [facebook.com/niveauk] or if you are lucky enough to attend one of their upcoming road-shows you can hop into one of their special "photo booths" and take an impromptu snap of you and whomever you are with!

Look out for the road-shows coming to a town near you - or you can check out the events schedule on Facebook as well as contributing to the debate and checking out the other entries for the Million Moments of Closeness. 

Go on - feel closer!!

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