How to Read Others' Emotions

Learning to read others' emotions can help you both professionally and personally. You'll become a better communicator and better able to build effective relationships. This skill, also known as emotional intelligence, prevents frustrations and misunderstandings when dealing with others. It takes some practice, but is worth the time.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Study and become aware of your own personal emotions. By recognizing the impact of your emotions, you become aware of the emotions of others.

2. Make note of the person's body language or non-verbal cues. A nervous or insecure person might bite his lower lip, fidget or shake his leg. Relaxed muscles in the face are a sign of happiness. Smiling a lot or humming are expressions of contentment.

3. Learn about empathy. Empathy gives you the ability to understand another individual; you put yourself in her shoes. Once you've done this, you're better equipped to know what feelings the other person is experiencing.

4. Observe different facial expressions and features. Take the "Read the Mind in the Eye" test on the Internet. The test shows how good you are at reading emotions through eye expression.

5. Listen for tone of voice. Paralanguage goes beyond just the meaning of words and is a great key to knowing another's emotions.

6. Ask questions to get more information. Try to find out if they're feeling OK or are experiencing a problem. Tell a story or bring up a situation they can relate to in order to help them express their own feelings.