Diving into the Depths of Emotion: Five Fascinating Aspects of Hands on Face

Understanding the human emotional spectrum begins with recognizing expressions. A commonly overlooked expression is the "hands on face" gesture. This can speak volumes about a person's emotional state, inviting us to delve deeper into the sea of emotions. We start with this gesture to unravel the complex layers of emotion communication.

The position of our hands on the face can reveal subtle shades of emotion that are often unrecognized in vocal communication. Psychologists suggest that this behavior can manifest due to a range of emotions - from extreme joy to intense worry. Whether shielding our eyes in fear, gripping our forehead in stress, or cradling our chin in thought, our nonverbal communication can provide intuitive insights about our internal state.

One intriguing study is Ekman’s Faces of Lies, which reports that guilty subjects often touch their face when lying. It suggests subconscious self-comforting responses as a way to alleviate internal stress experienced during deception.

Self-soothing and Emotional Regulation

Moving deeper into the ocean of emotions, we encounter self-soothing and emotional regulation. When used as a self-soothing mechanism, touching the face can be a strategy for emotional regulation, a way of managing stress and managing anxiety.

A research study titled "Stress Relief: Tips on Practical Stress Management" discusses the role of self-touch as a stress management technique. It further elaborates that the pressure of hand-touch on facial pressure points can have a calming effect. These can range from gentle rubbing of the temples to more noticeable actions like covering the mouth or touching the fingertips to the forehead.