How Learning To Communicate Can Help You To Overcome Many Life Problems

Many people have a real problem communicating with others and they will go to great lengths to keep their thoughts to themselves, even when it is more beneficial to talk to someone. The society today glorifies individuality and self-achievement and showing any sign of weakness is viewed negatively.

Many people will struggle to deal with issues themselves, even when they know that it would be much easier to talk to someone or ask for help. Learning to communicate can help people to overcome many of the problems they are facing.

What does communication entail?

Communication is basically about expressing your thoughts, feelings, wants and opinions with others. Effective communication will require at least two people and it entails both talking and listening. A good communicator has to be a good listener. One of the marks of a good therapist is the ability to listen and understand what the patient is communicating.

It is easier to talk than to listen and it takes skill to be a good listener. For the communication to be effective, the listener has to be able to accurately interpret and understand what the other person is saying.

Problems in communication

Effective communication is often hampered by several factors, and depending on the issue, it can take several attempts to get the message across. Sometimes, the speaker can make the communication process difficult by speaking in a low tone. Other problems include avoiding the real issue by including too many details or trying to skirt around the main message.

Using body language or non-verbal cues that contradict the verbal message, or paying too much attention to try to figure out the listener’s reaction are both issues in communication too. Most people who find it difficult to communicate are constantly worried about being judged and this causes them to say what they think the listener wants to hear, instead of what they really think.

How to be a good listener

For communication to be successful, there has to be effective listening. Many people think that they need to offer advice or opinions when sometimes all that is required is listening. A good therapist learns the value of silence and how listening can help a patient to open up and reveal everything that is on their mind. To be a good listener you must be interested in what the other person is saying.

You must avoid being preoccupied with other thoughts or trying to formulate a rebuttal while the person is talking. Do not let your opinions stop you from listening to what the other person has to say. It is also important to be an active listener and this means making an effort to understand what the person is saying. This requires feedback and trying to verify or get clarity on the details before responding.

Good communication is necessary for the survival of any type or relationship. Whether it is a friendship, marriage, business or work relationship, the parties have to be able to communicate if they hope to work together. Many relationships have broken down simply because the parties had difficulty communicating. Remember, a small issue can grow out of proportion due to lack of communication.