How to Communicate with Heart
As someone who used to shut down and not express myself, and having moved through that to a place where I’m now super comfortable having the MOST difficult conversations, I can honestly tell you that your entire life will change when you embrace having those icky convos.
Obviously, there are SO many different reasons we need to have difficult conversations, and each one will require a different approach. You also need to think about WHO you’re having the conversation with, knowing that there will be some people in your life who will project their feelings on to you, some will react without thinking and others may go quiet.
No matter who it is you’re talking to, go in prepared.
And what I mean by that is - rather than just thinking about what you want and need to say, think about who you’re speaking to and how they may respond.
That way, prior to having the conversation, you have already thought about what the possible reactions will be, meaning that you won’t be caught off guard when it happens.
So, here's a few of the key aspects to effectively communicating your needs with heart.
1. Give yourself time to process.
What I mean by this is don’t launch into a conversation without thinking about what you’re saying and more importantly what you WANT to say. It’s the quickest way to start a fight and make you feel like shit.
So, if someone says something to you that doesn’t sit right, or there’s something that’s unresolved or something troubling you - rather than starting a screaming match or laying blame or just speaking for the sake of speaking - take the time to think about what it is that bothers you, or that’s unresolved or that you need to communicate.