So, no peeking at your phone or checking the clock. This is a time to give someone the level of attention you’d want from them if you had something important to tell them. Use this exercise to not only become a better listener but also to improve your ability to focus. If someone is trying to tell you something, make it a habit to stop what you’re doing (unless you’re driving) and listen mindfully to what they’re saying. Give it a few minutes, and take deep, calming breaths while listening. Stop whatever you’re doing and listen mindfully to every sound you can pick up in your immediate environment. You can practice this one even when you’re alone. Then the other person gets three minutes to talk without interruption, and it’s your turn to give them your undivided and mindful attention.
#Mindful listening full
When it’s your turn, you can talk for a full three minutes or until you’re done for the moment (whichever comes first).
To help with taking turns, you can use a talking stick or a timer. Of all the mindfulness communication exercises, this one ranks at number one because it compels you to stop talking and listen. But this makes it impossible to hear everything they’re trying to tell you. When you’re anxious to get your words out, it’s too easy to interrupt the other person or talk over them. Take turns.įirst in line is the simple exercise of taking turns in a conversation. Not only will you reap the benefits of a daily mindfulness practice, but also you’ll see how it hones your communication skills and strengthens your relationships. 5 Mindful Listening ExercisesĪt least one of these mindful listening activities will help you make a habit of listening more mindfully. Totally worth taking a few minutes each day to practice active listening, right? And before you know it, you’ll be feeling those benefits.Īnd you might just want to write about them in your daily journal. And the benefits go beyond what they can do for intimate relationships.Īdd to these the benefits of daily meditation, and you have the makings of a completely different life from the one you’re living now - not to mention different relationships with the people closest to you. Now imagine how much better conversations will be when you’re both mindfully listening to each other.
You probably know how it feels when you’re trying to get your point across to someone, and they look confused, distracted, or zoned out. It does this by training you to silence the internal noise of your own thoughts so you can hear and understand what others are saying to you.
How would it change your relationships if you made mindful listening a regular thing? 7 Benefits of Mindful ListeningĪccording to communication expert Rebecca Shafir, the average person remembers only 25% of what someone has said, just a few minutes after they said it.īut a few minutes a day of mindful listening exercises could boost your retention and understanding of important conversations - making it far less likely that you’ll forget something you can’t afford let slip from memory. It probably made all the difference in how well you were able to empathize with the other person.īut unless mindful listening is a habit for you, conversations will be hit or miss - or mostly miss with a few scattered hits. Maybe you remember times when you practiced mindful listening - also called active listening. If mindfulness is about paying purposeful attention to the present moment, mindful listening is about paying purposeful attention to what someone is saying to you (verbally and otherwise). You’re able to see the big picture of what they’re saying - along with what they’re not putting into words. You’re also more aware of their body language and more likely to consider what you’ve picked up from past conversations. When you’re fully aware of the present moment, you are available to hear what the other person is saying. But in order to absorb what someone else is saying, you need to be fully present. Participate in group mindfulness exercises.
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