Smarter and Harder

5 ways to be a great active listener

Active listening is an essential skill for building relationships at home, at work, and throughout all areas of life.

Listening shows other people you care about them, and it also helps you gain new perspectives and develop empathy for others.

In a noisy world, everyone wants to feel heard. By giving that gift to others, you can strengthen your relationships and develop closer connections.

Plus, when other people feel like you listen to them, it also makes them want to listen to you, further benefitting everyone.

Using some of the methods ahead, practice diving more deeply into your conversations and being a better active listener!

1. Resist over-relating

Connecting someone else's experience to your own can show you're listening, but making things all about you has the opposite effect.

2. Prompt and engage

Remember the "active" part of active listening. Ask questions, dig deeper, get involved in their story!

3. Allow for pauses

When someone stops speaking, try not to jump in right away. Giving people room to process and speak is a crucial listening skill.

4. Clarify before responding

Before you reply to someone, reiterate what you heard to make sure you fully understood what they wanted to tell you.

5. Think about the type of response

Try to meet people where they want to be. Do they want advice? Reassurance? Opinions? A discussion?

Swipe up for more fun conversations and weird ideas around personal development!