Body language expert Inbaal Honigman has spilt on the secrets behind your tea-drinking behaviour.
We’re a nation of tea lovers and for many of us, nothing hits the spot better than a warming cuppa.
Whether you crave a sip first thing or need some comfort after a long day, it’s never a bad time for tea.
But how do you drink yours? Are you a slow and steady kind of tea lover or do you chug it with big gulps?
Do you cautiously blow on every sip or race it down without concern for a scorched tongue? And, worst of all, do you have a tendency to slurp?
Celebrity psychic and body language expert Inbaal Honigman tells Betway that your tea drinking behaviours can reveal a lot more than you think – and slurping may be more positive than you think.
“When holding a cup of tea, the way we engage with it becomes the focal point of our entire body language,” Inbaal explains.
“Our arms, face, shoulders and back are all primed to ensure that a delicate receptacle filled with boiling liquid does not lose its balance.”
“A cup of tea is the natural extension of the arm to many of us, so the way we hold and sip our cuppa says a lot about our personality.”
So from quiet and comfort-seeking to suspicious and nervous, here’s what your cuppa habits say about your true identity:
Tea Slurper
“Tea Slurpers are in no hurry. They’re patient and calm, and they project serenity. Even though slurping noisily is seen as an annoying habit in Western cultures, the body language that slurpers display is chilled-out. Both cup-holding arms raised at the same time, showing balance. The cup is held in front of the face in a stable manner for a long while, to allow for a leisurely slurp, showing patience.”
Cup Cradlers
“People who cradle their mug are honest, enigmatic and quiet. They prefer to listen than to speak up. When cradling a cup, both palms face up, which is a display of honesty. Upturned palms show that the person has nothing to hide. Cradling the cup is a soothing motion, creating a sense of comfort that suits the calm cradler.”
Pinky Up
“Those who drink tea with their pinky up are graceful, classy and delicate. Attention to detail matters to those who raise their pinky when they drink. Tension is evident in the pinky as it pokes out, and it lets us know that the whole person is tense. The tension tells us that they’re doing everything in their power to try and please, and to come across well. This tension in the pinky shows how much this person cares what people think about them.”
Tea Blowers
“Tea Blowers are patient and tentative and can be suspicious. They’d rather test out the lay of the land and not take chances. As they blow on their tea to cool it down, tea blowers are engaging all their focus in the one delicate move, balancing their cup with their whole body, and directing their lips towards it. This creates a stiff motion while the next move is being planned. As nothing moves for a while, the wait for the tea to cool leaves the person frozen, in a similar way to fear responses. The blower is not taking another action until the tea is cool.”
Tea Sippers
“People who sip their tea are tense and have a nervous energy about them. They feel safer when they’re in motion. Rapid, frequent movements of sipping demonstrate a need to get things done. One hand raised to the lip, holding a cup, again and again in a sharp manner, can also show frustration.”
Tea Gulpers
“Tea gulpers are confident, impatient and fearless. They’re happy for their tongues to overheat, if it means that they can move on with their lives sooner. Where others may fear the backlash of piping hot tea hitting their gullets, the gulper stands tall and proud. They’ve got places to go.
The single, powerful motion of the gulp, one arm raised to the mouth once, then the cup slammed back on the table, shows that the gulper trusts themselves.”
Cup Clutchers
“People who handle the mug too tightly are selfish and untruthful. They look at any situation and think ‘what’s in it for me?’.”
“When someone holds their mug handle very tightly, they’re showing that they’re stressed and scheming.”
“Clutchers would sometimes use their other hand to embrace their mug from the other side, creating a full barrier around the front of the body.”
“This is known as a protective gesture, putting a separation between the person and their environment. The lack of balance in this pose, with each hand performing a different task, stems from the imbalance in the ear-clutcher’s mindset.”
Biscuit Dunkers
“People who dunk their biscuits into their tea engage in self-care. They’re not just having a drink, they’re turning their moment into an occasion, and calling every part of their body to the party.”
“A dunker knows how to prioritise joy, and isn’t waiting for anybody to tell them whether to treat themselves or not.”
“The dexterity needed, balancing both solids and liquids in one nimble move, shows that this confident individual knows that they can get the job done.”
