If you find it difficult to listen, you may benefit from professional treatment. Other options include training social skills or reading self-help books on interpersonal skills. Active listening helps you better understand another person`s point of view and respond to it with empathy. This is important in all types of healthy relationships, whether with a spouse, parent, child, other family member or friend. Up to 65% of a person`s communication is unsaid. If you pay attention to these nonverbal cues, you can say a lot about the person and what they`re trying to say. For example, if they speak quickly, it could be a sign that they are nervous or anxious. If they speak slowly, they may get tired or try to choose their words carefully. Listeners should not be tempted to ask questions or comment every time there is a few seconds of silence.

Active listening means giving the other person time to explore their thoughts and feelings, so they should have enough time to do so. Jahromi VK, Tabatabaee SS, Abdar ZE, Rajabi M. Active listening: the key to successful communication between hospital directors. Physician electron 2016;8( 3):2123-2128. doi:10.19082/2123 Repeating a summary of what was said to the speaker is a technique used by the listener to repeat what was said in his own words. Summarizing means taking the main points of the received message and repeating them in a logical and clear way to give the speaker the opportunity to correct if necessary. Colorado State University Global. What is active listening? 4 tips to improve communication skills. Whether you`re looking for a new job opportunity, looking for a promotion, or working to improve in your current role, improving your active listening skills will help you succeed. Similar to critical thinking and conflict resolution, this soft skill will help you increase your value as an employee. Active listening techniques such as thinking, asking open-ended questions, seeking clarification, and observing body language will help you build relationships when you meet new people.

People who actively and empathetically listen are good at initiating and nurturing conversations. Active listening helps others feel more emotionally supported. This can be beneficial if you interact with someone who suffers from social anxiety. According to research, emotional support affects the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the brain, leading to decreased feelings of stress in socially anxious people. It is often easier to learn by reading examples. Here are some examples of statements and questions used in active listening: A Munich marriage therapy study by Dr. Kurt Hahlweg and colleagues found that the typical couple was still desperate even after using active listening techniques as part of couples therapy. [43] Active listening is also a process in which the conversation not only serves to be informed about a topic, but is also used as a source to promote disclosure of the topic under discussion. During a particular conversation, an active listener will pay close attention to nonverbal communication and the underlying ideas and notions behind what is being said.

As a listener, he will also show non-verbal cues to communicate that he is fully focused on the verbal exchange. Some of these signs include: eye contact, smiling, accepting a head movement, or a forward-leaning posture that creates a feeling of “you have my full attention.” When listening actively, eye contact is especially important. This tells the other person that you are present and listening to what they are saying. It also shows that you are not distracted by anything else around you. Learn more about listening: Listening skills| The 10 principles of listening Types of listening| Ineffective listening We`ve all been in situations where our “listeners” were distracted or disinterested. Or maybe you want to improve your own active listening skills so you don`t do this to others. Active listening helps you build trust and understand other people`s situations and feelings. This, in turn, allows you to offer support and empathy. Unlike critical listening, active listening tries to understand rather than respond. The goal is for the other person to be heard, affirmed and inspired to solve their problems.

Reflection is the active listening technique that shows that you understand and sympathize with the person`s feelings. By reflecting and summarizing what they have said, they feel heard and understood. Posture can say a lot about the sender and recipient in interpersonal interactions.