Communication is Key
Communication is one of THE most important parts of a relationship. And like any other skill, effective communication does not come naturally to most of us. It is something we can fail at over and over and learn from our mistakes. The best way to communicate effectively is to simply be honest. Trying to hint towards the truth will cause strain on the relationship and make for an even bigger problem than the issue at hand. Studies have shown that listeners decode messages based only 14% on the words themselves, 35% on the speakers tone and 51% on nonverbal cues. Nonverbal communication says a lot more than you might think. Changing your tone when saying something like, “I had such a great day today” can change the meaning entirely. Sometimes we choose words that fit with our feelings perfectly in our head, but the listener may interpret them to mean something entirely different. This is where reflective listening comes in handy. A reflective listener will ask questions to clarify what
