Some mindful listening tips, for those doing the Mindful Relationships Challenge:
- Mindfully watch your urge to talk instead of listen … and don’t act on the urge.
- Make it a challenge to really listen to the other person, to keep your attention on what they’re saying.
- As you listen, try to empathize with them, to understand them, to understand what they’re going through now and in the story they’re telling you.
- If they’re being frustrating or irritating, try to listen to them and see their suffering that’s causing the frustrating behavior, and assume that they have good intentions.
- Pay attention to your urge to be right, and instead assume that the other person is (also) right.
- Be curious, and ask questions.