Understanding Emotions Through Facial Expressions

Understanding Emotions Through Facial Expressions Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy Social Skills Print How to Read Facial Expressions You can improve your ability to read others emotions By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Updated on November 20, 2019 Zone Creative/Vetta/Getty Images More in Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy Social Skills Symptoms Diagnosis Coping Work and School Related Conditions The ability to understand facial expressions is an important part of nonverbal communication. If you only listen to what a person says and ignore what that persons face is telling you, then you really only have half the story.?? Often words do not match emotions, and the face betrays what a person is actually feeling. If you suffer from  social anxiety disorder (SAD) you might have a hard time paying attention to facial expressions. You might have trouble with eye contact or read too much into negative expressions on other peoples faces. Although it is important to pay attention to facial expressions, remember that knowing the emotion doesnt tell you the cause. If someone seems bored, upset or disinterested it could be for a number of reasons â€" and have nothing to do with you. The value in understanding facial expressions is to gather information about how the other person is feeling and guide your interaction accordingly. If someone appears disinterested she might just be tired, and it might be time to end the conversation. Below are five tips to help you better read the facial expressions of others. Universal Emotions Research by Dr. Paul Eckman tells us that there are a handful of universal facial expressions that cross cultural divides. Even blind people make the same faces to express the same universal emotions.?? The universal expressions are: SurpriseFearDisgustContemptAngerSadnessHappiness Practice making the facial expressions that go along with these emotions and you will become better at recognizing them in other people. Micro-Expressions Not all facial expressions stick around for a long time. Those that pass quickly are called micro-expressions?? and are almost indiscernible to the casual observer. You might be picking up on these micro-expressions if you get a feeling about someone. Dont ignore your gut. Eyebrows Eyebrows?? tell a lot about what a person is feeling. They can be... Raised and arched (surprise)Lowered and knit together (anger)Inner corners drawn up (sadness) Watch someones eyebrows to get a handle on how that person is feeling. Eyes The only thing more telling than the eyebrows are the eyes?? themselves. They might be Wide open (surprise)Intensely staring (anger)Have crows feet crinkles (happy) In addition, dilated pupils can indicate fear or romantic interest, while rapid blinking might signal dishonesty or stress. Mouth The final piece of the facial expression puzzle has to do with the mouth.?? Look for: A dropped jaw (surprise)Open mouth (fear)One side of the mouth raised (hate)Corners raised (happiness)Corners drawn down (sadness) Other signals to look for are: Lip biting (anxiety)Pursed lips (distaste)Covering the mouth (hiding something) How to Read Body Language and Facial Expressions These are only a few tips to get you thinking about the facial expressions you see during conversation and what they mean.?? If you find you are having a hard time reading other peoples emotions through their expressions, you might need more practice, or you might simply have trouble decoding what others are feeling If your inability to read facial expressions causes you distress, consider seeking help from a mental health professional to identify the issue and appropriate method of remediation.