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Guilford County drops indoor mask mandate | How to feel comfortable reading facial expressions again

Seeing people's facial expressions again, without a mask, may be jarring at first

GREENSBORO, N.C. — After wearing masks for more than one and one-half years, Guilford County has ended the mask mandate. Seeing full faces when you’re out in public might feel a little weird. There could be an adjustment as we get used to interacting with others without a facial covering.

This is what Blanca Cobb, body language expert, and I are talking about today. A refresher in reading facial expressions.

Seeing full facial expressions can have an impact on your interactions and conversations with others.  When you can see someone’s entire face, you have more confidence in what you’re reading. It’s like having all the pieces to the puzzle, which means you can see a complete picture.  When you have a full picture, you’re not guessing what someone feels because you can see it. If you misidentify a facial expression, then you can cause tension in communication and interactions.

Let me describe a few key lower face differences in the universal facial expressions. In sadness, the lip corners pull down. In anger, the lips tighten into a straight line. When you’re surprised, the jaw drops open. When you’re scared, your lips pull to the sides towards your ears. In disgust, the top lip can pull up. And with contempt, one corner of your lips pulls to the side.

When someone is uncomfortable, tense, or feeling a negative emotion, you’ll see differences in their lips and, sometimes, jaw. You might see their jaw tighten or the muscle at the bottom of their jaw pulse. They might compress, bite or twitch their lips. If you’re too close to someone and you see these various lip and jaw differences, then you might want to step back and see them relax. If they relax, then more than likely, the space you gave them reduced their tension.

Share your thoughts on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb – Body Language Expert. Write a message on my timeline, and I’ll get back to you. While you’re on my page, I’d appreciate it if you give my page a “like.”  

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