The Art of Communicating summary

You probably spend a good portion of your day communicating with others, whether it's in person or online. But how much time do you spend communicating with yourself? Probably very little.

Communicating with yourself is essential for mindfulness, which means it's also essential for healthy communication.

Have you ever discovered something completely new about a long-term partner? Something you can't believe you missed?

We don't always fully understand people we're close to. This is often because we don't listen to each other.

Avoiding toxic speech is essential, but what about nourishing speech? How can we evoke it?

A good strategy for keeping your speech nourishing is to use mantras. Mantras are set phrases that help you express certain emotions. In Buddhism, there are three mantras for letting people know you love and appreciate them.

The first three mantras focus on helping others suffer less, but your emotions are also important. The next three mantras, discussed here, help bring happiness to you.

The fourth mantra is “I suffer, please help.” Use it to let others know when you need support.

In addition to the six mantras, there's another important tool for keeping your communication nourishing. It's called loving speech. Follow these few rules to make sure you use it effectively.

The first rule of loving speech: you must always tell the truth. Following this rule can be tough, especially when the truth is painful. If you speak in a warm-hearted way, though, then telling the truth is healthier – and will feel better – than lying.

Mastering healthy and effective communication isn't just about talking with one other person. We often need to communicate with groups of people, which can be an added challenge.

Many people are confronted with toxic speech at work, for instance. Are you? You can improve toxic environments, such as at your workplace, with mindfulness.