Communicating While Wearing a Face Mask

A person’s face can tell you a lot about how they’re feeling, so what happens if they’re wearing a face mask and most of their face is covered? This is when it becomes important to focus on micro-expressions, or those expressions that are automatic and genuine. These expressions are most visible in a person’s eyes and eyebrows, though they can also be seen through body language. In this topic, you’ll learn how to interpret a variety of head, eye, and eyebrow movements, so you can tell if the person you’re speaking with is happy, sad, angry, surprised, or confused and adjust your approach to the conversation appropriately.

• Questions (level 1, 2, 3)

• Video module

This content is currently available in English.

1. Head movements, like tilting one’s head to the side or nodding, indicate that the customer is listening to what you’re saying and either understands or agrees with you.

2. Raised eyebrows, raised cheeks, and crow’s feet around and underneath someone’s eyes can indicate happiness.

3. Pinched together eyebrows and drooping eyes/eyelids can indicate sadness.

4. Two parallel lines between the eyebrows indicates anger. The person might also tighten their eyelids.

5. If a person’s eyes are squinted and they are wrinkles between their eyebrows, this can indicate that they’re confused or disagree with what you’re saying.

6. Arched eyebrows or a quick movement up and then down of the eyebrows (i.e. an eyebrow flash) can indicate someone is happy to see you or that they’re interested in what you’re saying.

7. Crinkles at the top of a person’s nose above their mask can indicate disgust since people tend to pull their nose upward when they’re disgusted.

8. Contempt is often expressed as a one-sided smirk. To identify it when someone is wearing a face mask, listen for a sarcastic tone, and check to see if they are pulling their shoulders back or are tilting their head back to look down their nose at you.

9. High eyebrows in the shape of two upside-down “u”s and wide-open eyes can indicate surprise. Since surprise makes a person’s face longer, you might also notice the face mask stretch.

10. Raised, flat eyebrows and wide eyelids that show the whites of someone’s eyes can indicate fear.

Wearing a face mask can make it difficult to communicate with others. The face mask covers your mouth and nose and can make it difficult for you to recognize how loud or soft your voice is. Our voices also tend to sound muffled when we’re wearing a face mask, making it tough for others to hear and understand what we’re saying. In this topic, you’ll learn some best practices for speaking while wearing a mask to help others understand you. Some strategies covered include speaking slowly and clearly, speaking at a normal volume, and rephrasing your messages.

• Video module

• PDF module (This module was created in a tool that is not supported by our Content Studio offering.)

This content is currently available in English.

1. Maintain positive body language, like standing up straight and keeping your head lifted, when communicating while wearing a face mask to better emphasize what you’re saying and feeling.

2. Use hand gestures, like pointing, waving side-to-side, and the ‘stop’ gesture, when speaking to someone while wearing a face mask to supplement what you’re saying, so people can understand you better.

3. Turn so both your head and body face the person you’re speaking with, so they can hear you and see your body language clearly. This will help make it easier for you to be understood and understand their responses in return.

4. Nod your head when appropriate when speaking with someone while wearing a face mask to show you understand them or agree with what they are saying since normal confirmation noises like “mhmm” can be muffled by your face mask.

5. Tilt your head slightly to one side when speaking to someone while wearing a face mask to show them you’re listening and are engaged in the conversation.

6. Move your eyebrows up and down once, also known as an ‘eyebrow flash’, to greet people and show them you’re happy to see them.

7. Maintain appropriate eye contact with people when communicating while wearing a face mask to show you’re focused on the conversation. This will also help you better understand how they feel about what you’re saying.