Talk with your hands a lot? Experts say it means something wonderful about you.

There are a lot of folks out there who talk with their hands. For some, it’s a way to elaborate the point they’re trying to make and, for others, it’s just an instinct they don’t even notice. Some people are even self conscious about it and worry they talk with their hands too much. Well, according to experts, you have little to worry about when you speak with your hands. In fact, talking with your hands is beneficial. Both body language experts and psychology researchers found that using hand gestures while speaking benefits the speaker in multiple ways.

“Studies have found that people who communicate through active gesturing tend to be evaluated as warm, agreeable, and energetic, while those who remain still (or whose gestures seem mechanical or 'wooden') are seen as logical, cold, and analytic,” writes body language expert Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman.

Talking with your hands, or “gesticulation” if you want to be fancy, isn’t just common but could be part of our evolution. Not only are specific hand gestures methods to invoke emphasis on certain points or to nonverbally show friendliness and honesty through open hands, gesticulating reduces the cognitive load of the speaker, allowing them to access memory and process thought more easily. This brain/hands relationship goes all the way back to early childhood when youngsters either didn’t know the right words to convey how they were feeling and had to gesture or when they’re higher up in development and use their fingers to do basic arithmetic. In short, you appear more open and honest when talking with your hands because you likely are.

Not all hand gestures convey friendliness and honesty though, at least not at the forefront. Incorporating such trusting gestures along with power poses like putting your hands on your hips or in a steepling gesture can make you appear more charismatic and authoritative. In fact, certain gestures like sweeping motions can make you appear more dominant and even taller to help ensure that you are heard without needing to adjust the volume of your voice. You’ve likely seen many people in business, politics, or on TEDTalks gesture in such a way to express their power and authority while keeping your attention gently.

Even if you think you talk with your hands too much, it’s still mostly a positive thing since you are conveying trustworthiness and friendliness while also speaking with authority. However, not all hand gestures are universally effective and some send the wrong message and will conflict with your words.

Clenching your hand into fists like that classic Arthur meme can convey frustration, anger, and violence even though you may not have those intentions. Finger pointing also implies a damaging accusation even when you’re literally pointing something out that could be neutral, and people sense a lack of control when they see it used. Hiding your hands entirely, whether it’s behind your back or in your pockets, can subconsciously tell folks that you’re hiding something as our ancestors equated hidden hands with hidden danger such as a concealed weapon.

If you’re a person who uses gestures when you speak, it’s likely nothing to feel anxious about. In fact, the studies show you’re likely communicating very thoroughly and in the best possible light.