用眼神来交流

 

Facial expressions are the primary way people exhibit emotion and decipher the feelings of others. Happiness, sadness, disgust, fear and surprise can be communicated through facial expressions alone. But when part of the face is masked, it becomes more difficult to recognize these cues.

 

If you cannot read someone else's emotional state, your ability to empathize with them may be compromised. Likewise, if your own mask is hiding your emotional state, others may not be able to empathize with you. Wearing a mask can also make you feel more distracted and self-conscious, further weakening your connection to others.

 

Fortunately, you can regain¹ some control over communication by working with what you have left -- the eyes. If you want to increase understanding with a masked individual, you should look them in the eyes, which may be easier said than done. Eye contact triggers self-consciousness, consumes extra brain power and becomes uncomfortable after only three seconds. But bear in mind, eye contact can also make you appear more intelligent and trustworthy.

 

利用身体语言来交流

 

You might be surprised how much information is conveyed by the body itself.

 

For instance, when someone is happy, they stand up straighter and lift their head; when they are sad, they slouch and drop their head; and when they are angry, their whole body tenses up. Learning how people use their bodies to convey emotion may help reduce the uncertainty² you feel when communicating with someone in a mask.

 

Become aware of your own body language, too. When engaged in a conversation, you can appear more attentive³ by turning your body toward the individual, leaning in or nodding. To let another person know you want to start speaking, straighten your posture⁴, hold up your index finger or nod more frequently. Finally, be aware that imitating the posture of another person can increase how much they like you and even agree with you.

 

善用自己的声音

 

Don't forget the impact of your voice. It's not just what you say, it's how you say it. Along with the actual words, you also use volume, tone and pauses to convey your message. For instance, a lower-pitched whisper may denote sadness or insecurity, whereas a higher-pitched shout could show anger or intensity⁵.

 

If you feel the need to speak louder, just be aware that raising your voice can alter the message you are trying to send. Changing the tone of your voice can change the whole conversation, so instead of increasing volume, try improving enunciation⁶.

 

戴口罩时增进交流的小诀窍

 

Before your next interaction with a friend, think of ways to improve your connection. Pull your hair back so they can see your eyes clearly and find a quiet place to talk. Use your body and voice to convey the emotions you fear your mask might hide. Maybe most importantly, don't expect it to go perfectly⁷. Just like any conversation, mistakes will be made.

 

When someone can't understand you, try rephrasing your statement, saying it a bit more slowly and enunciating more. If you are struggling to understand someone else, try to ask close-ended questions, like "Do you want to go to the park?" instead of open-ended ones, like "Where do you want to go?"

 

By all means, continue the proper measures to keep yourself safe, but don't neglect your relationships as a consequence. Social distance doesn't have to mean socially distant.

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