Strengthen Relationships With Mindfulness

As humans we are social beings who find meaning through relating and connecting with others.  Interpersonal relationships are an important part of life, and while immensely meaningful they can also be challenging.  Bottom line, being in a successful relationship with another, personally or professionally, takes work – sometimes hard work – and that work starts with ourselves as individuals. How we as individuals communicate and respond in our interactions with others is a critical component to healthy relationships.  Using Mindfulness to guide us in the way we talk with others and process what is happening in our relationships can strengthen our social circles as it allows us to become more aware of ourselves and the world around us in the present moment. In this article, Minda Zetlin of Inc. Magazine talks about five Mindfulness techniques that can help to strengthen personal & professional relationships:

1).  Stop & Breathe.  Our thoughts can run at a fast pace sometimes – slowing things down & taking a couple of deep breaths will help to slow down racing thoughts and your heart rate so the way you process information in that moment is more from a wise mind perspective.

2).  Mindful Walking.  Paying close attention to how we walk (noting sensations, pace, etc) can calm the mind in that it brings us to the present moment of life which helps us to reduce ruminating thoughts and in turn can provide our bodies and brains with increased peace & calm.

3).  Attentive / Active Listening.  So often in dialog with another we miss the true meaning of what is being said because we are not actively listening.  Many times in communication we are distracted, in our heads processing other things including trying to figure out what we are going to say next – listening to respond vs. listening to understand.  Listening to understand allows us to interact with others at a much deeper level.

4).  Mindful Speech.  Words are important so it is good that we choose our words wisely.  Pause before responding to someone and take a little time to reflect on the impact of your words before speaking – many times we are reacting emotionally vs responding wisely when we talk to others, so taking some time to pause and think about what you are going to say (or not say) next can be a big building block for healthy communication.

5). Writing Meditation.  Simply writing words or affirmations on paper can change your attitude and feelings about things.  Writing our thoughts and feelings down can increase understanding & awareness for a situation and help us to move forward in relationships with a more positive attitude and open mind.

Live Mindfully & Prosper all!