Six Dos and Don’ts For Better Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is verbal or nonverbal messages we communicate with another person. Whether we like it or not, we all have to engage in some kind of interpersonal communication pretty much every day. The only possible way to avoid it is through a very intentional effort to completely isolate ourselves. And thanks to the interconnected world we live in, such a hermit lifestyle is getting more and more difficult to attain. Therefore, being good at interpersonal communication is a necessary skill to have in all of our day to day lives. In this post, we’ll go through six tips you can easily incorporate for better interpersonal communication. Three of them…
Living Life Poetically: The Unspoken Words
There’s a lot that can be read in a person’s body language. So, it’s good to recognize people’s nonverbals, as that can be very revealing about your relationship. But… Let’s not go overboard. There’s always the possibility of misinterpreting something or rushing to the wrong conclusion. The point here is to be aware–to not disregard the nonverbals or be completely oblivious to them; because sometimes, these “nonverbal messages” can reveal more than the verbal ones do. “The Unspoken Words,” is about that. More specifically, it’s about the pretenses that exist in some relationships. As a result, these relationships are less authentic. They are built on an illusion of mutual liking.…
Trust: Why it’s the Foundation to Strong & Healthy Relationships
Relationships 101: Trust is at the center of a strong and healthy relationship. This statement is probably nothing new. Most likely, you’ve already heard it, read it, or even said it yourself. But let’s discuss why trust is so critical. Consider this a review of the connection between trust and relationships. Why do relationships need trust? Trust Leads to Openess & Honesty: When people trust each other, they’re more likely to share more about themselves. They can share their deepest secrets, life story, and opinions without worrying about being judged. They also trust that what they say will remain confidential. Therefore, being nonjudgemental and trustworthy are great qualities to have.…
The Debbie Downer Effect: How to Stay Positive Yet Supportive
So you happen to have a close friend or relative who’s always complaining about something or another. They’re always sharing some kind of bad news, and things never seem to be going right in their lives. But if things happen to be going well, it’s only momentary. Maybe for a week, maximum. Before you know it, they’re back at it again with their negativity. The Debbie Downer and the “Debbie Downer Effect” This person might be what is called, a “Debbie Downer.” And when a “Debbie Downer” brings us down emotionally, we experience what we’ll refer to as the “Debbie Downer Effect.” It’s one thing to have a streak of…
Relationships: A Fundamental Part of Our Human Condition
A healthy mind, body, and soul are all critical to living life positively. But I’m afraid we’re missing another key component: Relationships. There are countless studies on how relationships can help us live longer, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, help us deal with stress, and more. Relationships are what connects us as people. So, they are a fundamental part of our human condition. Therefore, having healthy relationships is fundamental to a healthy mind, body, and soul. That being said, I’m excited to introduce Relationships as a new section to our menu. Whether it’s your relationship with family, friends, or a romantic partner, relationships can either break us down or…
The Struggle is Real–Why We Need Empathy and Perspective
What are your struggles? Just like you’re probably able to come up with a few responses to that question, so can everyone else. Why is knowing this important? Ability to Empathize Not recognizing that everyone has struggles of their own makes it easy to minimize or overlook what they might be going through. It also makes it easy to assume things are going much better than they actually are. However, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Unless you’re also walking in their shoes, you may not fully understand or be able to judge how impacting their struggles are. Just because theirs may not be the same…
Home Deprivation: Why We Should All Ask Ourselves ‘What Is Home?’
Close your eyes and picture “home.” Perhaps, a clear image of a physical structure comes to mind. But can there be more to a home than the physical structure? When we broaden our idea of what home is, it becomes apparent that the word is actually hard to define. It has a meaning that is unique to each of us. A Closer Look at How YOU Define Home For some of us, home is very much rooted in the physical structure. Sometimes the physical structure we picture in our heads as “home” and our actual place of residence are the same. However, this is not always the case; particularly for…
Top Tips for Dealing with Loneliness–A Trigger for Depression
Human beings are not meant to be alone. As infants, our brains need human interaction for healthy neurological development, which has a lasting impact on our emotional health years down the road. No wonder solitary confinement is considered a form of punishment. It deprives of our essential need to interact, connect, and experience life together. Not doing enough of that can be painful, sad, and downright soul-crushing. So it comes as no surprise that feeling lonely is one of the biggest precursors to depression. It can bring the blues on a person who moves to a new place and hardly knows anyone there. Or the person who literally knows everyone…