A changing world requires people who are willing to change with it. There are opportunities all around for those who are courageous. Although, it’s never this straightforward, a worthy enough challenge has the quality to instill and invite an innate sense of drive and pull to act. In short, it’s the driving force behind our motivation. When there are no challenges in a person’s life, they can become apathetic or lack the desire to do anything. If this happens, They can feel uninspired and lose interest in life. In some cases, this can lead to feeling depressed and anxious. The good news is that the state of apathy is entirely reversible.
“We can’t stop the change, but we can choose how to respond.”
The Connection Between Mindful Listening and Mental Health
It can be difficult to find people who are willing to listen, and this can be a major challenge in understanding what needs expression within us. Many people don’t have the time and patience to listen with intent. In a world that’s too busy with physical and emotional materialistic consumerism, it’s easy to feel that you don’t have anything of worth to add to the conversation.
It can be frustrating when you know that there’s a message that needs to be delivered. Sometimes, people are occupied with their own lives and the games they can’t forfeit from. If only they could see what they’re missing. They’ll be so glad they took the time to listen! It’s worth it, even if it’s a little painful in the beginning. Being fully present with another human being and oneself can be an honoring, humbling and equally invaluable experience.
You might be surprised to find out things about yourself when you take time to stop and reflect. You might surprise yourself by realizing that are more resilient than you thought, more resourceful than you knew, and more connected with the universality of the human experience than made to believe. Try it out for yourself.
How To Practice More Mindful Listening
1) Stay focused on what you are hearing by focusing on your breath, body or surroundings. For example, notice how your belly rises and falls or the temperature in the room.
2) Consciously give attention to what you are hearing by noticing and appreciating all the different sounds that make up the environment around you.
3) Be aware of your emotions and thoughts as they arise in response to what you hear, notice any judgments or assumptions about those emotions or thoughts and let them go without acting on them.
4) Practice non-judgmental awareness of your feelings, thoughts and sensations as they arise in response to what you hear without reacting to them. When you catch yourself thinking thoughts like “I am not doing this right“, “There‘s no point in doing this“, “I wonder what‘s for dinner“, come back noticing your breath again.
Notice the spaciousness that accompanies this short time-out and let it sink in.
Mindful listening is a practice that encourages long concentration span and decreases interruption from distractions. It is the practice of being present in the moment with an open mind, ears and heart.
One demand that I have taken myself to task with is being attentive to the expressions of what is true for me and my clients. Some of the skills that allow me to do that are awareness and empathy, active listening, being present, and celebrating good communication which I will be referring to in detail in upcoming posts.
“Mindful listening is a practice that encourages long concentration span and decreases interruption from distractions.”
Many people have already committed to being more present within, and they are here to give you support and guidance as you go inwards and lend a compassionate ear to what needs to be heard.