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Effortless Etiquette Tip: How To Yawn Politely
Yawning is an involuntary, and often contagious, reflex that occurs when we are tired, bored, or stressed. Although everyone yawns, it can be seen as disrespectful or rude depending on the situation and who you are with.
Yawning during a lecture, meeting or in the middle of an emotional conversation with a friend can make it seem as though you are not interested or bored. In this article we will explain how to yawn in a polite way, that will not offend anyone and demonstrates that you are aware of social etiquette.
Why Do We Yawn?
Yawning is our bodies way of stimulating the brain and muscles in an effort to get blood flowing. More blood flowing in our bodies increases our heart rate and give us a boost of energy.
Yawning can be triggered by a number of social cues and environmental causes. The main causes of yawning are boredom, tiredness and stress. When we are bored, our heart rate and breathing slows down. This lack of oxygen to the brain can trigger yawning.
A brain dealing with fatigue or stress will be warmer than a well-rested, low-stressed brain. Yawning is caused by an increase in the brains metabolic rate and blood flow, trying to keep cognitive activity up while it runs on a low battery.
Your yawn can be cause by someone else, too. Scientists believe that contagious yawning is triggered by seeing, hearing and even just thinking of another person yawning (did you just yawn?). While scientists aren't exactly sure why yawning is contagious, theories suggest it is partially due to our social bonding and mirror neurons.
Etiquette Tips When Yawning:
The number one etiquette rule when it comes to yawning is to completely cover your mouth with the palm of your hand. This is a widely accepted social custom and prevents the spread of germs. Covering your mouth when you yawn stems from old religious beliefs that evil spirits could enter your body through a yawn as yawns were seen as a sign of laziness.
It does not matter which hand you use, but many people prefer to use their non-dominant hand since a yawn can happen at any time. You could accidentally poke yourself in the eye if you use your dominant hand while holding a pen.
Not covering your mouth means that anyone looking at your will now be looking directly in to your mouth. Many people will agree that this is visually unappealing. It could even be embarrassing if they point out a piece of food stuck between your teeth.
It is impolite to open your mouth all the way, make groaning noises, or stretch all of your limbs as far as possible when you yawn. Doing this can make you look like you are being overly dramatic or embellishing, especially if you are in a non-stimulating environment like a meeting or sitting through a dry lecture.
Etiquette Tips After Yawning:
Once you have finished yawning, do not draw attention to it. If you were engaged in a conversation before yawning, apologize to the person you were conversing with then continue the conversation. A simple "pardon me" or "my apologies" is perfectly acceptable or, alternatively, you can act like it never happened.
Avoid making comments like "I'm so bored" or "I could fall asleep right now". Even if others may be thinking the same thing. No one needs to know how little sleep you got the night before. It is best to keep these kinds of comments to yourself.
Summary
Covering your mouth when you yawn is not only polite, but also respectful. It should be an impulse you do as soon as you feel a yawn coming. No matter the company, no matter the situation, it is always advisable to cover your yawn.
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