Avoid & Distract--Barriers to Communication

This week’s topic is how avoidance and distractions can be barriers to communication and what you can do about it. Avoidance--In a relationship, one might keep away or steer clear of another when they don’t want to talk to them. They might not make eye contact, may not want to be in the same room as the other, so they do not have to interact. Distraction--These can be internal or external distractions that prevent a listener from comprehending and properly understanding what is being said to them.

What can you do about it? How can you have interactive conversations in your relationships?

Set up a specific day and time to have a conversation. You could have a regularly scheduled daily or weekly meeting or time for communication, allotting 30 minutes should be good.
Pick a time when both are more apt to be refreshed, not rushed, and could have each other’s full attention.
Treat it like a business meeting with a purpose, timeframe, and next steps.

When you do sit down and talk:

Remove and block out as many distractions as you can.
Follow good communication practices.
Face the person who is talking to you or the person you are speaking to and make eye contact.
Speak clearly and honestly using kind words; be respectful, watch your tone of voice
Actively listen
Think about what is said
If there is anything you don’t understand, Ask clarifying questions
Stick to one subject at a time, don’t bring in extra or unrelated topics
Respond appropriately
If the conversation is not going well, take a break from the discussion for a few hours or even a day. Then resume when emotions are calm and are minds are open to a respectful conversation.