5 Daily Habits: Communication
Communication is an essential part of my day. I need strong communication to share opinions, figure out the facts and to express myself. Good communication can prevent arguments, create respect and help you get ahead in life. I've noticed a lot of people my age are terrible communicators. We constantly ignore grammar and blurt out things before thinking about them. Today I'm going to share 5 Daily Habits you can start using to improve your communication.
1. Say People's Name
When you're speaking to someone, find ways to say their name out loud in the conversation. Saying someone's name creates trust and implies that you are interested in them and what they have to say. A person's name is very important to remember. If you forget someone's name, it makes them feel unimportant. By saying their name out loud you're subconsciously telling them you care about who they are and took the time to remember them.
2. Check Your Grammar
My biggest pet peeve is when someone sends a text or an email with improper grammar. I just don't get it. I can understand when you blurt something out with poor grammar, but if you physically have to type something I do expect it to be grammatically correct. Be more aware of your grammar and try to edit things before you send them. Whenever I take a second to reread what I wrote I always find something that can be fixed. Get in the habit of editing your words before you send them. It'll make you sound more professional and well-put together.
3. Plan It Out
For important conversations, you should always plan out what you intend to say. This doesn't just apply to professional settings like a workplace or university. It also applies to arguments with friends, giving difficult news, and so much more. The reason this habit is so important is because planning out what you intend to say keeps you on point and doesn't allow for emotions to get in the way. If you just wing it, there's a lot of potential for misinterpretation and emotional burns.
4. Talk To A Stranger
I am terrible at keeping a conversation going. I have a hard time thinking of things to talk about. The best thing I started doing to help this problem was talking to more strangers. I don't mean walking up to random people and forcing them to communicate with you. What I mean is casually starting a conversation in public areas. If you're on an elevator with someone, start some small talk. If you're waiting in line, casually talk about something with the person in front of you. By starting these little conversations, you learn how to talk to anyone about anything. Plus, you could end up meeting someone who will one day be your best friend or even your spouse.
//Check out my 5 Daily Habits for Confidence!//
5. Have Empathy
Empathy is very different from sympathy. Sympathy is having pity or feeling sorry for someone. Empathy on the other hand, is being able to understand what someone is feeling and see where they're coming from. Having empathy means being genuinely interested in other people. It also means trying to look at things from their perspective. It's not just feeling sorry for someone. If you have empathy for someone, you can understand what they're dealing with and feel those emotions with them. People who have strong empathy are more caring and supportive. They aren't just people who agree with you that life sucks and move on. They're the people who help you make life better because they understand you need some help.
I hope you'll use these 5 Daily Habits to have better communication in your life. Communication is a powerful tool that is very unique to humanity. We're actually able to state our opinions or tell others how we feel. Other living creatures and objects don't get that direct connection. I hope that these habits inspire you to be better communicators in your daily lives and to put an end to miscommunication and uncontrolled speech.
