Here are some helpful tips to improve
your communication:
-Don’t interrupt. I feel that
when someone interrupts, they are definitely NOT hearing what the other person
has to say. When a person interrupts
another, it leaves the interrupted person feeling like what they have to say is
unimportant. And ultimately, the
interrupted person shuts down, gives up and says “what’s the point.” Each partner should have a chance to express
how they are feeling without being interrupted.
-Make sure you understand what your
partner is saying. I see this so
often in sessions, where one partner tells the other how they are feeling and
the other person just continues on about their own “stuff” and doesn’t even
take a second to say, “What do you mean by that” or “Why do you feel that way.”
Make sure you understand what your
partner means. I always say if you don’t
understand something, how do you fix it??
-Don’t yell. AHHHH screaming at one another….that just does NOT
work. When one person gets loud so does
the other and before you know it you’re both in a screaming match….No one is
listening and hearts are racing. How in
the world is this helpful….it’s not.
Talk to one another. If you feel
like voices are starting to get louder, or heart rates are increasing, take a
break for at least 20 minutes. This
gives you time to calm down and collect your thoughts. Once calm and your heart
rate is back to normal, you may continue your talk.
-Don’t curse or say mean things to one
another. I feel that you can say what you need to say
without cursing or insulting the other person.
What good does it do if you are calling your partner a nasty word? Does
it fix the issue…NO. All it does is exasperate
the situation. This is something as an
individual you must work on, controlling your anger and what comes out of your
mouth.
MY
THOUGHT:
Does
this sound familiar to you? If so, think of what YOU can do on your own to
improve your communication.
