With masks becoming standard issue, showing people how we feel has become a whole new art.
So much of communication involves the non-verbal cues. During a visit to the CBD, I realised, a smile can’t be seen behind a face mask. As I stood in front of a cashier, I wondered, how will they know if I’m smiling?
What are we supposed to do if we can’t see someone’s facial expression? How do we know how one is feeling hidden behind a mask?
If there’s anything this pandemic has taught me, it has taught me to be a better observer and more compassionate.
I’ve learnt that you can read a lot about someone just by looking into their eyes.
Eyes express a multitude of feelings that we tend to ignore because of what we hear. Eyes are best at expressing true emotions even behind a mask.
I’ve learnt that that when you smile, your eyes smile too. And I remind myself that just because most of my face, or another person’s face is hidden behind a mask, that I shouldn’t give up on smiling.
I can still express my gratitude to the person behind the counter with a smile and make them feel valued.
So, the next time you’re out, I challenge you to look more closely into someone’s eyes and find out how they are doing.
And where we can’t show how we feel, we can always express ourselves by speaking more about how we feel, be it a simple ‘Thank you’ or ‘How are you?’.
If we are open, this pandemic can make us better observers and communicators.
- Simran Jain, Master of Management (Marketing)