what's up everyone!


I have absolutely no facial expressions! I hate it so much, my face always has the serious face. I don't know how to start showing emotion/ facial expressions. Anyone got any ideas?

Wow, I am the exact opposite. I realized this way back in 5th grade. My teacher told me "You know, you make a lot of facial expressions." And I responded, "I do?" with (ironically) a seriously confused face on (lip shape, eyebrows, squinting, everything that comes in a facial expression). And then I was like "whoaaa, I doooo..."

The best advice that I can give (but I don't know much anyway) is to make a conscious effort to make facial expressions and eventually you will get very used to doing it. Another thing you can do is record yourself having a conversation with somebody and watch the tape. If you really are THAT bad with the straight face and all, you can watch the tape as motivation.

Or you could go a different route and just start saying really funny things - it would make for an interesting contrast with your deadpan face...

If you watch movies alot like me..you repeat the funny lines or re enact funny moments with friends...I always think about these to keep a good vibe going.

Hi,

I thought I'd add to this. I find it very hard to come up with an instant smile. Normally after a build up I have a good smile, but it's too slow.

I am trying to enter a jolly or laughing frame of mind. I try to tell myself jokes, pull funny memories and it does help quite bit.

Pulling silly faces does help as well because it loosens the muscles.

Maybe you can try to use the lack of expression to your advantage

Use a mirror, good speakers and actors do this all the time, facial expressions can be Key when conversing.

Hope this helps,
Swing

Hey Swing,

I've practised flashing a quick smile in front of a mirror and half the time it comes and it's good. Take away the mirror and I've got little idea how the smile is projecting. Is it simply a matter of associating the changes in your muscles to the type of smiles you want and practice, practice, practice. Maybe I can mentally ppicture a mirror in front of me when I smile

Exactly. Using a mirror allows you to see exactly what the other person sees. Practice a few minutes every day when you're in the bathroom and you're set.

~Antithesis

WATCH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPRESSIVE FACES, AND JUST COPY THAT. WATCH MOVIES THAT HAVE ACTORS THAT REALLY USE THERE FACES TO COMMUNICATE: LIKE GEORGE CLOONEY, OR BRAD PITT. PRACTICE IN THE MIRROR.

the mirror is perfect, if you don't have a big one to show your whole body, then get it. worth the money.
not just for your expression but for your bodylanguage asweel. you can even practice your openers, the pitch of your voice, poses or dancing.
Every day 5-10 min.
Hope it helps

I used to have the same problem, do you also have a monotonic voice?

I spent a lot of time thinking about it, this is what I came to:

Firstly, as Dr. Swing said, you must practice infront of a mirror, a couple of min a day. when you do, concentrate on the muscles around the eyes and eyebrows think about what part of your face you are not using.

you can also try to doodle faces, to check how every single element affects the expression.


secondly, especially if you are monotonic, try to figure if you are unhappy with the people around you, maybe you just feel that your situation / people around you suck.

unhappiness = no excitment = dull face.

This really sums it up real good!
Thanks allot, this will help me alot!

Actually it shows you the exact reverse of what the other person sees. It is surprising to see how different the nonverbal communication you project is when your image is flipped.

Here is an exercise you can try to see what I mean.
If you have a laptop, get it out and start taking pictures with your webcam (i.e. if you have a macbook open up photobooth).

Practice making different expressions while focusing on communicating specific emotions through your face (confident, angry, sad, happy, excited, thoughtful, nonchalant, etc.). With programs like photobooth, you can see what you look like real time before you take the picture (like a mirror).

Take a picture and have your program flip it horizontally (since this is what you REALLY look like to other people because they do not see your mirror image).

Now bring to mind the emotion you were trying to convery and see if the picture still conveys that or if a completely different message is being portrayed.

Doing this exercise will give you a more objective approach to determining the messages your face sends.