Self-Improvement Archives

Questions to Make a Conversation Interesting & Meaningful

What types of questions move a conversation in a meaningful direction? How can you appropriately let someone know that you don’t require a response? Good conversations happen only if the other person feels good when they talk to you. You want to do all you can to ensure your conversation partner feels important and heard and will want to keep engaging with you in the future. One way to do this is by asking the right kinds of questions. Read on to discover how to use several types of questions to make a conversation interesting and meaningful.

How to Be a Better Conversationalist: 3 Ways to Let Others Shine

Do you prefer to talk about yourself than learn about others? Do you know how to make people feel comfortable and understood? A good conversationalist is a thoughtful one. They don’t monopolize conversations, they make people feel seen and heard, and they show genuine interest in others. In Better Small Talk, Patrick King shows how to take good care of the person you’re talking to so they want to continue the conversation. Continue reading for King’s advice on how to be a better conversationalist by being a thoughtful one.

How to Improve Friendships—And Why It’s So Important

Do you prioritize time with your friends? How might each of your friendships be stronger? Children value the friendships they make in school or other activities, but adults too often brush them off. This is because most adults are in different stages of life, so friends come and go more easily. It doesn’t have to be this way—and it shouldn’t. Discover how to improve friendships so you can value them the way you did as a child.

5 Damaging Relationship Patterns & How to Avoid Them

Do you acknowledge the difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism? Do you sometimes shut down because you’re feeling overwhelmed? Like every couple, you and your partner face conflict at times. But, you can still have a happy relationship despite these conflicts as long as you learn to manage them effectively. Specifically, experts recommend that you learn to recognize damaging relationship patterns so that you can avoid them. Read more to understand these patterns and see whether they’re in your own relationship.

How to Utilize Empathy in Communication Skills

Why exactly is empathy? How can you successfully use empathy in communication? In communication, empathy is important because it sets the tone for all subsequent interactions. Expressing yourself with empathy means clearly and accurately vocalizing your emotions and thoughts in a way that makes the other person willing to listen. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of empathy, how it develops, and how to express yourself emphatically.

How to Improve Work Relationships (+ Why It’s Important)

Do you talk to your coworkers much? How can you improve work relationships and enjoy your job more? Making friendships on the job may not seem like the biggest priority at work, but it doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself from your coworkers. In fact, The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz advises you to cultivate healthy relationships while working. Learn how to improve work relationships and, in turn, your life in general.

How to Evaluate Your Relationships’ Place in Your Life

Why should you evaluate your relationships? What are things to look out for as red flags in relationships? Some relationships just aren’t meant to last forever. If you feel as though a relationship is taking a negative toll on your life, you need to take a step back and assess how important it is to you. Here are the factors you need to evaluate in your relationships, according to Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud.

Tara Brach’s RAIN Technique: A Guide to Everyday Mindfulness

How is mindfulness applied to everyday life? What’s the difference between the RAIN technique and the STOP technique? At a Buddhist conference, former ABC News anchor Dan Harris heard Tara Brach speak about loving and accepting yourself as you are. She presented a technique that he found helpful in applying mindfulness in everyday situations. Keep reading to learn about the RAIN technique and how it might benefit you as it benefited Harris.

How to Stop Beating Yourself Up: 5 Ways to Forgive Yourself

Are you too hard on yourself? How can you stop beating yourself up over little mistakes? Making mistakes is part of being human, but many of us chronically beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Over time, that critical self-talk can evolve into debilitating shame that prevents us from pursuing opportunities in life and showing up authentically for ourselves. With this in mind, here’s how to stop beating yourself up and begin showing up for yourself with the care and compassion that you deserve.

How to Unlearn Dysfunctional Family Patterns in Adulthood

What common patterns in dysfunctional families would you recognize? What can you do personally to improve your relationship with your family? Each family is unique in its own way, and all of them come with their own problems. As Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz point out in The Good Life, these problems usually arise from negative patterns that get passed down. Let’s look at how to unlearn these dysfunctional family patterns to improve relational dynamics.