{"id":318,"date":"2011-05-05T09:23:10","date_gmt":"2011-05-05T14:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wholeperson.com\/wordpress\/?p=318"},"modified":"2011-05-05T09:23:10","modified_gmt":"2011-05-05T14:23:10","slug":"listening-as-a-relational-skill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholeperson.com\/blog\/listening-as-a-relational-skill","title":{"rendered":"Listening as a Relational Skill"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>Even the extroverted will have trouble with relationships if listening is an issue. Listening skills go hand-in-hand with contact. No one wants to talk or listen all the time; understanding one skill is equally as important as the other. Being a good listener is more than just hearing. It means being aware and accepting of the other person\u2019s emotions. However, there is a line between being sympathetic and too empathetic. \u00a0Empathy isn\u2019t a bad thing, but it\u2019s important to separate out your feelings. It\u2019s easy to take on the emotions of others you care about in stressful situations, but this is not helpful to anyone. While supporting a friend through a divorce is healthy, if you take on your friend\u2019s emotions, both of you are drained and stressed, which doesn\u2019t help anyone.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s difficult to understand why a person feels a particular way. The key is to just accept their feelings. Don\u2019t judge them or compare their reaction to how you think you would feel. Sometimes if you are confused about a friend\u2019s reactions, try paraphrasing what they said back. This will help both of you understand what was said and if that\u2019s what was meant. Another way to improve your listening skills is to keep an eye on body language. Watch how people interact with each other. Most people have clear signals for how they\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n