Effective communication is a critical key to having loving and stable relationships and is also a valuable tool for stressed or fractured relationships. It is necessary to our happiness as human beings. Few of us get through life thriving on isolation – we need and want to feel connected to other people. When we lack skills in communication, we often experience personal emotional pain and stress in our relationships.
Communication is often mistakenly confused with talking but in fact it is much more. Often we are miscommunicating and what we say and mean gets lost in translation. As a result, our relationships with our spouse, children, workmates, friends, parents or others may be suffering.
But remember, good communication skills are not something we are born with, they are something we learn. Many good communicators we know do the following:
- They give you their undivided attention.
- They use eye contact and their body language also shows you they are listening
- They allow you to finish your own sentences and don’t interrupt you
- They clarify meaning by repeating what they think you mean
- They show empathy
- They allow you to feel truly ‘heard’
Rather than focusing on just talking, listening also plays a very important role in communicating. However, being able to respond effectively is also necessary to avoid conflict and to resolve issues. Good communication includes doing and saying things that will help you care for the relationship as you go, without compromising your needs. It’s good to know that when we are having trouble with communication, we can do something about it.
Our communication courses give people the opportunity to learn skills and practice them in a supportive and fun way. Everyone can benefit from improving their communication skills and are all are welcome to join us on the communication journey.