Our next two blogs focus will be on Improving Communication skills which will help with both emotional and physical intimacy. Communication consists of two jobs, listening and talking. For good communication that leads to deeper intimacy we need to do both well.
Even in the quietest homes there is constant communication going on. Most of our communication is non-verbal, in the form of
- facial expressions,
- tone/volume of voice
- body language
So what do we do to improve our communication with one another? It’s 2 fold, Listening Well and Talking Well – both of which require mindfulness of yourself and your partner.
Here are 5 Keys to Listening Well:
(Remember the non-verbals!)
- Make eye contact – this is one of the best ways to show someone you are listening to them as they talk. If you are looking
- Direct your body to your partner – rather than facing the tv, turn toward the person talking, it shows them you are interested in hearing them
- Nod your head to express understanding and interest – rather than a zombie stare, nodding shows you are following them
- Don’t interrupt – don’t worry about trying to figure out your response, you will get a chance to speak too but your job is to listen now
- Reflect – Reflection requires your interpretation: Imagine the conversation as a mirror. Once they have finished their statement you reflect back to them what you just heard. This is not PAROTING…Polly want a cracker. No this is repeating their statement with a mixture of empathy and validation.
Remember that you want to be in tune with your partner and show them that you care what they are saying and you want to hear them. After all, if I don’t show Michael that I care about him by listening well then we are
more likely to experience misunderstandings, hurt feelings and conflict.
Now, it’s hard to listen if no one is talking…yeah, like that’s ever a problem?! Right?! Well stay tuned, next time we’ll be discussing the keys of talking well.
