Face masks are great for keeping you from infecting other people but they’re not the best for things like talking. Not only do some homemade ones act liketimid gags,butmost masks cover up the parts of the face that are super important for social cues. And you thought sarcasm over text was hard.Try pulling it off with a face shield.
So in the interest of keeping your time talking in public short and sweet, here are some expert tips on how to communicate with a face mask like a boss.
- Use your eyes.They’ve been called the ‘window to the soul’and they’re also the window to just what the hell you’re talking about. Studies show the majority of us are able to accurately recognize the emotions of happy, sad, and angry from people’s eyes alone. So eye contact is super important right now. As is theeye workon your end. Your eyes give up non-verbal clues to what you’re feeling so you should be digging deep into your emotions when you’re talking with your mask, and let your pupils do their thing.
- Add some eyebrows.According to research,and memes,when you’re angry, your eyebrows form a “V” and when you’re happy, they bend upward toward the top of your head like an upside-down “U.” Meanwhile, sad eyebrows form an upside-down “V.” Even though you can’t smile or frown in your mask, those bushy things on your forehead could make up for it.
- Body language.It’s time to reach Broadway musical levels of emoting with your hands and posture. Time and time again, communication studies have shown body language has always been an important guide to gauging the feelings, sincerity, and intent of other people. So pay extra attention to how you’re using your bod during your next social distance masked chat to help clear things up.
Source:Psychology Today