Relationship, communication & emotional constipation
Dr. Aixa Goodrich is joined by special guest Dr. Wendy Guess to discuss success in relationship.
Dr. Wendy Guess is a marketing faculty member in the FIU College of Business. She was instrumental in developing FIU’s “Health and Fitness Marketing” Certificate, as well as the “Health and Fitness Marketing” course that serves as the focus of the certificate.
Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not only how you convey a message so that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way you intended, it’s also how you listen to gain the full meaning of what’s being said and to make the other person feel heard and understood.
More than just the words there’s nonverbal communication, engaged listening, managing stress in the moment, the ability to communicate assertively, and the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of the person you’re communicating with.
When under stress… Pause, breathe and try to find humor.
Effective communication is the glue that helps you deepen your connections to others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust.
While effective communication is a learned skill, it is more effective when it’s spontaneous rather than formulaic.
Barriers to effective interpersonal communication
• Stress and out-of-control emotion. When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. Take a moment to calm down before continuing a conversation.
• Lack of focus. You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. If you’re planning what you’re going to say next, daydreaming, checking text messages, or thinking about something else, you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience.
• Inconsistent body language. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head no.
• Negative body language. If you disagree with or dislike what’s being said, you may use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively without making the other person defensive, it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.
TIPS for effective communication:
Be an engaged listener. There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing.
Focus on the speaker. Some people are thinking of what the response is going to be while the other person is talking. So you’re really not listening, you are just hearing. Show interest. It demonstrates respect.
Avoid interrupting and watch your body language.
Want to get in touch with Dr. Wendy Guess.
To get started on your journey to optimal health, call (305)271-7447 and schedule your appointment today.
Show is sponsored by South Florida Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, Inc.