4 Key Tips to Communicate More Effectively

At times in our lives, we struggle with the ability to communicate effectively. Perhaps you’re stressed about work, and the people closest don’t fully understand why you’re suddenly distant. It could be a slew of bad days that come to a head and push you over the edge. For whatever reason, words don’t come out right, and it causes friction in interpersonal relationships.

Strong relationships don’t have to be perfect. But the best relationships, including partnerships, workplace friendships, and parent-child relationships, value communication. 

What Is Communication Apprehension?

If you find yourself afraid of what people might think of you (this includes a level of anxiety around perceived judgment), you might be experiencing communication apprehension. 

Communication apprehension happens when you’re afraid to speak up. You might try to avoid conflict, so you don’t break the mold or step on any toes. Effective ways to communicate might not come naturally, and that’s okay. But when you let apprehensions guide you, you rob yourself of the experience to work through problems. 

The deeper you go in your meditation practice, the more clarity and courage you will gain to express your deepest truth with calmness. Channel this clarity when facing situations you don’t feel prepared for. Your inner self knows you are capable. She knows you have what it takes to get your point across without letting barriers of the mind trouble you.

If you want to know how to improve communication skills, start with listening with intent. 

Listen With Intent

Intention reveals desire. It’s actually quite rare for a person to have purely bad intentions. But sometimes, being an engaged listener is hard. You might want to chime in with your personal experience of a given topic or think about your response when someone is speaking. This is not listening with intention.

Listening with intent means active listening. It requires eye contact and truly hearing what another person has to say. Sometimes if we aren’t listening, we don’t hear the meaning behind words. Our interpretation of the meaning of what our partner or child, or boss says gets fuzzy — and it creates misunderstanding.

If you listen with intent and are open to what a person is saying, you can check your judgment at the door and embrace truth — thus improving communication.

Don’t Discount Body Language

When you enter a room, your energy introduces you before you speak. Energy is transferred between people instantly. Body language, in this sense, does the talking for you. 

To be a better communicator, you need to tune into yourself and become aware of the energy you are radiating or bringing into a space. From your facial expressions,  your hand gestures, your shoulders, and your legs — these nonverbal cues reveal a message, even if you think you’re hiding something. 

Body language communicates to others. It keeps no secrets and shares how you feel even if your words say otherwise. To communicate more effectively, be aware of how your body is speaking. Take a deep breath and come back to your center, back to your awareness.  

Slow down reactive thoughts that show themselves through your body language, and instead, open your body. Show up with grace and recognize you may not have all the answers. 

Negative body language can cause misunderstandings or lead to a lack of trust in what you say.

Witness Your Emotions

“Feelings are just visitors; let them come and go.”

–Mooji

Strong emotions are inevitable. The human experience is bound to emotional response. However, acting purely out of emotion blocks your ability to hear other people. It becomes ego driven quickly when your emotions overrun another person’s perspective. 

While you might have strong feelings about a particular situation, try not to dwell on them too much. Rather, witnessing your emotions as they come up, understanding their root, and breathing through them will help your nervous system regulate, and help you to maintain your composure. 

Part of communicating effectively is understanding your triggers and how to work through them to give others a chance to meet you halfway and come to a compromise. 

Be Mindful With Your Words

Our message can be greatly impacted by the words we use, and they can also affect how well our message is received by others. When we say things we don’t mean out of anger or use words that inflict pain, it doesn’t do anything to improve communication or solve a problem. Even worse, careless words cause feedback loops, and a cycle of poor communication may arise. 

Saraswati means she who has flow. She is the deity of speech, music, art, and knowledge. Saraswati is the keeper of wisdom in a more profound sense. She emphasizes very specifically cultivating both creative courage and clarity in your expression.

If you are struggling to find the right words or finding it difficult to express yourself without a sharp tongue or reactive language, channel the energy of Goddess Saraswati. Take a couple of deep breaths and tune back into your awareness. Reflect on moments of clarity and choose your next few words carefully, keeping in mind Saraswati is with you. Trust your instincts and your truth, but be open to the perspective of the other person in the room. 

When thinking about the words you use, don’t forget to consider your tone when speaking. Tone in speech refers to the volume, intonation, and word choice used when speaking. It might be difficult to manage tone in real-time so that it reflects your goal. However, being aware of your tone will let you adjust it when necessary if a discussion seems to be headed in the wrong direction.

Discover Your Inner Truth and Reject Reactivity

At Leela Gurukul, we practice goddess energy cultivation. If you’re ready to explore your potential, learn to communicate more effectively, and unlock your power, we invite you to check out our Goddess Rising program. 

All are welcome.