Listen Or Be Heard Month - September 

Have you ever noticed that one of you seems to do most of the talking in your relationship while the other one listens?  

This month it's about challenging each other to be better communicators. The more you listen the more you make your partner feel heard. And the more they feel heard, the more they are willing to pay attention to your needs. For those of you who are on the quieter and more reserved side, being slightly more expressive can help your partner to know what you need and to feel closer to you. 

For some ways to practice your listening & speaking skills click here.

Listen Or Be Heard Month - Activity Ideas

• Turn the TV off one night a week and talk about your hopes, dreams, and challenges

• Have a "no talk" morning or afternoon where you both practice the lost art of shutting up and learning to appreciate a little silence.

• Come up with a hand signal that lets your partner know you need a little quiet time

• If you tend to be less vocal in your relationship - commit to one day of OVER-verbalizing your wants & needs (you may want to warn your Partner in advance for this one!).

• Sit down and figure out if there are specific areas in your relationship where you don't communicate well. Maybe one of you is afraid to talk about a certain subject because the other has a strong emotional attachment to it? Or maybe one of you feel you always have to guess as to what the other is thinking or feeling, putting added stress on your relationship? Try to identify a few key areas and focus on just those this month.

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Online Resource Ideas - Listen Or Be Heard Month

Teach yourself how to be OK with Silence by learning meditation - here is a starter website for you.

Learn about effective communication by checking out a new book or reading a few articles like this one.