Active listening isn't used enough by any of us and it's a great skill for us all to have in our emotional toolbox...
Active listening is used in Hypnotherapy as part of the Initial consultation and when the client gives feedback to the Hypnotherapist. However, it’s a really good skill for us all to use in general everyday life. How often do any of us really listen to someone and I mean, properly listen? Active listening is when you listen to someone and also provide feedback on what you are listening to, so the person speaking knows they are being heard. Too often in modern day life everyone is just waiting for the other person to finish talking, so they can say their piece and not really listening to the other person speaking. When did we all become so narcissistic?
We all want to be heard, it’s a natural human emotion
Therapists and other mental health professionals regularly practice active listening, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all use and develop this skill in our lives. You can learn so much from listening to people and we all have as much right to speak as anyone else, whether we agree with what is being said, or not.
Active listening can also be a really useful tool for parents
Active listening is also great for parents to use with their children, it’s so important to really listen to children and for them to see their parents actively listening to others.
There are three primary parts to active listening:
1. Comprehending – In the comprehension stage of listening, the listener actively analyses and listens to what the speaker is saying without distraction or thoughts about other topics.
2. Retaining – Retaining requires the listener to remember what the speaker has said so that the speaker’s full message can be conveyed. Some people might take notes or use memory tricks when practicing active listening.
3. Responding – Responding is the act of providing both verbal and nonverbal feedback to the speaker that indicates the listener is both hearing and understanding what the speaker has said. This could be nodding your head or murmuring, you don't have to talk to show that you are listening.
Active listening can be great to use in your family life or work life
We should all try to be a bit kinder to each other and just generally try to be kinder in life to all and that includes listening to others and trying to understand that person's fears and concerns, even if they are not our own fears and concerns. Imagine how much nicer the world would be if we could all do that more. So the next time you are having a conversation, give active listening a try and see what you can learn. You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised