Do you really listen when your friends speak, or are you simply waiting to have your say? "Listening mindfully allows the speaker to feel truly heard and cared for and enhances the connection," Dr. Weltfreid said. "Set an intention to offer your full attention to someone who is speaking to you. The speaker in essence becomes the object of your mindfulness practice."
To do this effectively, "notice and step back from preconceptions, evaluations, ruminative, or self-focussed thoughts, and any other internal experiences that could limit your perception, create misunderstanding, or result in the speaker feeling unheard," she said. "Listen with nonjudgment, openness, curiosity, interest, and compassion."