01 Sep 10 Tips for finding happiness through positive communication
For those wanting happiness, there’s no doubt that other people matter.
Happiness requires looking after oneself, but it also depends on caring for and being thoughtful of others.
Positive relationships, therefore, are integral to happiness and effective communication is crucial for positive relationships; so here are my top 10 tips for communicating openly and effectively:
- keep calm (as much as you can & without denying the reality of your emotions)
- keep focused (don’t stray from the topic)
- listen, listen and listen some more
- accept the other person’s position (you don’t need to agree but you do need to accept it for what it is)
- acknowledge the other person’s position; after accepting, let the other person know you know what they think
- assert your own opinion (either in support of, or as you disagree with the other)
- be aware of your thoughts…about the person, their position, the situation etc
- and keep an eye out for unhelpful, negative or unrealistic thoughts and assumptions
- put it all together and try to finish with some sort of resolution
- that is, work towards solutions, don’t get bogged down in problems
So that’s it; give it a go and let me know if your relationships, and your happiness improve!