How To Actively Listen To Others
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

How To Actively Listen To Others

It is so hard and most times quite impossible to stay focused when someone is talking to you.

62
How To Actively Listen To Others

It is so hard and most times quite impossible to stay focused when someone is talking to you. It is for me anyways. I care a lot about these people and want to know what is troubling them or just what goes on through their daily lives. However, I am a huge daydreamer. One minute I will be intently listening and the next I'm producing a movie inside my brain. It's so frustrating and rude and I truly want to listen.

  • What I have learned that helps me focus and engage is to make sure I am looking at them. The minute I look somewhere else my mind will start to wonder.
  • It also helps to repeat back what the person is talking about. Not every word because that's kind of weird but just paraphrase important parts of the conversation.

Another thing that I know prevents people from focusing and has recently prevented me is being distracted by phones. I was not allowed a smartphone until I turned 18, so I have only had an iPhone for about a year. All I could do with my previous phones was basically make phone calls and text. It used to frustrate me to no end when I was talking to someone and they would be on their phones the whole time. I just could not understand how you could not put it away for just a few minutes and thought it was not that hard. Not until I got a smartphone myself did I realize how distracting they really are. I find myself checking my phone or looking at it every now and again when some is talking to me. It has become like a habit to look at it.

  • Even though you could more than likely recite back what someone has said to you while being on your phone it is still common courtesy to give them all of your attention. Also, you are not able to listen as well as you think because no one is truly a professional multitasker all of the time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

54870
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35311
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957484
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

184194
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments