The Essential Skills In Mindful Listening To Foster Healthy Relationships In The Different Spheres Of Life

Effective listening is a vital component in relationships as open communication allows growth and development. When you don't pay attention to others while communicating, they may feel devalued or unheard. 

What is mindful listening?

Mindful listening can also be referred to as purposeful listening, and it is a particular way of paying attention to the present moment without any judgments. Mindfulness is an important tool that helps you be more aware of the present moment, let go of the surrounding distractions, and control your emotional reactions to what others say to you. The average person can only remember 25% of what the other person has said; however, mindful listening enables you to quieten your internal noise and inner thoughts to hear the whole message so that the speaker feels heard. 

The Benefits of Mindful Listening

Unlike active listening, mindful listening does not have a checklist of actions to follow; instead, mindful listening will help you become aware of your inner distractions to refocus and listen consciously. Moreover, mindful listening has physical and psychological benefits. It is not just for the speaker but also the listener, and mindful listening reduces anxious feelings and increases positive mood. 

Some of the benefits of mindful listening include: 

• It helps you retain information better.
• It enables you to pause before you speak so that you are more aware of your words.
• It helps you maintain attention for a longer time. 
• It boosts your self-esteem.

How to Listen Mindfully:
The key elements of mindful listening include: 

Being in the present:
When you listen mindfully, your focus should be on the speaker, and you have to make sure that you are free from distractions during this time. You can cultivate these habits by: 

• Declutter your surroundings: The workplace is often cluttered with many electronic devices and other work items. Make it a habit to keep your workspace neat and tidy and mute your devices while conversing with another person.
• Clear your mind: Give yourself time to clear your mind before meeting someone, and you can do this by practicing simple breathing or relaxation activities before the meeting or discussion. 
• Meditation: It is an excellent way to bring your focus to the present moment. Meditation also helps you clear the clutter in your mind, which enables you to make more space for what others have to communicate. Furthermore, you can start with as little as ten minutes of meditation and then increase the amount of time you keep practicing and get better at it. 

Cultivating empathy:
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes so that you can see things from their point of view. It is a crucial humanistic trait and has a lot of positive benefits for you as a human. With empathy, you are trying to get in touch with others' feelings and struggles. This mindset enables your personal growth and development. 

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