How good are you at reading people? Do you know when somebody is being serious or sarcastic? Can you tell when your friend is merely joking or when he or she really needs to have a heart to heart talk with you? While it's not unusual for people to send mixed signals, it's normally possible to decipher these, especially when you know them really well. However, according to a new study at Clemson University, having high blood pressure makes you less able to do so--you might have a harder time recognizing emotional signals if you have high blood pressure.
In an article published by the university itself, psychology professor James McCubbin and his colleagues talked about how people can be affected by high blood pressure. According to their research, facial expressions aren’t the only ones that become harder to understand. Texts, too, are subject to misinterpretation by those suffering from an increased level of blood pressure. "It’s like living in a world of email without smiley faces," McCubbin said. "We put smiley faces in emails to show when we are just kidding. Otherwise some people may misinterpret our humor and get angry."
Check the people around you. Do you know anybody who has high blood pressure? Have you ever noticed them having difficulty telling which statements are jokes and which are real? Why don’t you have yourself checked as well? Even if your job is only limited to paperwork, reading non-verbal cues is still an important aspect of your life. "For example, if your work supervisor is angry, you may mistakenly believe that he or she is just kidding," McCubbin said. “This can lead to miscommunication, poor job performance, and increased psychosocial distress.”
But miscommunication isn't the only consequence of not being able to read emotional cues. The study also reveals that you may be more open to taking risks when you fail to decipher emotional signals. When other people can’t even volunteer to take on a responsibility, you’re the first to raise your hand. When nobody wants to be the first to do something innovative, you’re already halfway through your first trial run. "Because you cannot fully appraise threats in the environment," you might make a habit of jumping headfirst into situations that other people would normally think twice or thrice about.
For more on how you can combat high blood pressure and live a healthier lifestyle, try these on FN:
For tips on effective communication, check out these articles on Female Network:
- Getting Your Point Across: 5 Tips to Avoid Miscommunication
- Relationships 101: How to Communicate Effectively as a Couple
- Speak Up: 5 Tips to Better Communication with Your Husband
- Our Brains Are Hard-Wired to Connect with Friends + 5 Tips to Better Understand Your Pals
- Talking Tips: How to Improve Communication in Your Relationships
(Photo by ashleeappendicitus via Flickr Creative Commons)
