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In this article you will learn more on Mindful Communication when working from home and also the Five Steps to Mindful Communication.
When working from home we can enjoy more time with our loved ones and have additional freedoms we may not have access to when at work and more. It can however be beneficial for us to leave our home for work as we then have a potentially stronger identity within the framework of the day and we come home to share our day to the warmth and love of our home and family.
When we work from home we can however ‘get under each others feet,’ and we can also become increasingly stressed with home based distractions that can interfere with the productivity of our work.
If we can learn to communicate mindfully more often we may increase the quality of our conversations and connections with our loved ones when working from home. This could result in more harmonious relations at home and also increased productivity within our work.
Mindful Listening
Mindful listening involves being aware of the other persons message with active engagement. This is in contrast to ‘being stuck in our heads’ or having pre meditated answers to someone else talking without actually sitting there and simply listening.
We often find ourselves thinking about the future or the past and we rarely listen to another person mindfully.
Please enjoy this video by Vernon Sankey and Katey Lockwood on relationships and listening. This video is from Meaningful Paths friends Improve My World.
Five steps of Mindful Communication
- Single Focus: Attempt to make the conversation your sole focus and stop doing anything else.
- Present Moment Focus: Try to focus on the present moment and not any thoughts to do with the future or past.
- Connect: Look into the other persons eyes and hear their words and the emotion behind those words. Find values and meaning in the story or words being told.
- Non Judgement: Do not judge what the other person is saying and attempt to listen actively and fully engaged in the other persons words without interruption or pre meditated response.
- Redirection: When you become distracted by another thought on the past or future or by something in the room then quickly redirect your focus to the other person; their words, their eyes, their expression.
Finding shared values in our relationships
It is important that we also reconnect with our shared values. After all one of the reasons your relationship has grown since day one will be based on shared views and values in life. Sadly with work pressures we can disconnect from our shared values and prioritise money and our bosses agendas over our own relationships love and harmony.
If you would like to understand the concept of ‘meaning’ at a deeper level and ‘values’ you can also read our blog article; What is a Meaningful Life?
If you would like to learn more ways to communicate with your loved ones when at home and also your colleagues in addition to other well-being exercises around mindset, values, goal setting and more when working from home then please see our Work From Home Wellness tool belt.
For mindfulness quotes and meditation techniques please see our page Calm. For mindfulness worksheets please see our page on Self Confidence.
Wishing you health and well-being.
Thank you for reading.
David Chorlton; Meaningful Paths Founder
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