In a relationship, listening to understand the perspectives of the partner rather than responding or reacting is extremely important. Listening helps us to delve deeper into the issues at hand and think, contemplate and figure out solutions. "Listening is one of the most important skills in any healthy relationship, yet it’s one so many of us struggle with. When was the last time you gave your partner your full, undivided attention without distractions or judgment? If you’re like most people, it’s probably been a while. The good news is effective listening is a skill you can strengthen. With some practice and effort, you can become a better listener, deepen your connection, and improve satisfaction in your relationship," wrote Therapist Benjamin Ekorhi.
The Therapist shared a few tips by which we can give our undivided attention to our partner:
Pay attention: Keep the phone and other distractions away, make direct eye contact and ensure that the partner knows that we are listening. When we pay attention, it creates a healthier space for the partner to become vulnerable.
Listen for meaning and emotion: Instead of just going by the face value of the words, we should try to unravel the deep-rooted emotions and meanings in the words of the partner. It will help us to understand their perspective better.
Ask follow-up questions: After they are done sharing things, we should ask them follow-up questions to get more clarity. This will not just ensure to make the partner feel heard but will also allow us to understand things better.
Withhold judgement and criticism: There may be sections in the conversation where we do not agree with the partner - however, we should withhold ourselves from being judgmental and critical of the partner.
Overcome common barriers: Interrupting the middle to ask questions or getting distracted easily are common barriers. We should learn to overcome them and pay complete attention.
Source: ANI