READING FACES

How to become a better listener, a better communicator, and make friends more easily!

People’s faces can often reveal more about how they are feeling than what they actually say. Sometimes what people say doesn’t always match what their face is saying. Have you ever noticed that someone can say “I’m fine” when they may be looking away, biting their lip, or frowning, and are clearly not fine?!

Being able to read people’s facial expressions can help us to better understand how they are feeling and we can then communicate better with them. Here’s how…

Eye Contact: How much eye contact a person makes with you is a big indicator of how they are feeling. If they are always looking away and not making eye contact with you it could be a sign that they are not interested in what you are saying or they have something else on their mind.

Frowning: This can often mean a person is feeling confused or unsure about something. Perhaps they are thinking deeply about something or trying to work something out.

Smiling: This is one of the most powerful facial expressions, but some smiles are real and some are false. A real smile involves more than just the mouth – It should reach right up to the eyes.

Lip biting: If someone is biting their lip it could mean that they are feeling worried or stressed.

If you see any of these facial expressions (except maybe smiling!) you could try asking if the other person is OK or if anything is bothering them. You could also try changing the topic of conversation to something they are more interested in.

Reading faces can make us better listeners, better communicators, and it can also help us to make friends more easily.