Blog — relationship skills

101 Emotion Words List: Expand Your Emotion Vocabulary 0

Most people have a limited emotion vocabulary: they don't have many words to describe feelings. Having limited emotion words at your disposal gets in the way of you understanding yourself and others. This post includes a 101 emotion words list to help you better label what's happening for yourself and the people around you.

Is The Way You are Listening Damaging Your Relationship? 0

Listening in a way that works is a skill that most people don't have. Most people use what I call "Not Listening Skills" when their job in the moment is to be a listener. These communication missteps create misunderstandings and messy buildup in couples: accumulated hurt feelings and resentments. They also contribute to people talking at each other rather than hearing each other and considering what they have to say.

People using any of the 10 Not Listening Skills often think they are doing a great job as a listener and don't see or understand that it's damaging their relationship. They may be listening to their partner, but their partner doesn't feel heard, and they don't really get what their partner has going on.

What is Patience? Best Patience Quotes and Definitions 2

Patience is both a skill and a quality. It is the ability to wait for things. It isn’t a passive thing. It’s an active thing. It is the balance between the two extremes of impatience and complacency.

Click for definitions of patience and inspiring quotes to help you develop the skill of healthy patience. 

Ann Silvers' Books on Amazon 0

I now have 15 books on Amazon. Topics include anxiety help, what works and doesn't work in relationships, and emotional intelligence skills.

This post includes links for each of my books on Amazon.

Own Your Thoughts and Feelings & Let Others Own Theirs 0

Owning your thoughts and feelings and letting other people own theirs is a foundational part of healthy communication skills. 

It creates an attitude that makes it easier to present your ideas in a tactful way. And it helps you listen to other people without getting triggered or defensive. 

What does it mean to own thoughts and feelings?

What is assertive communication and behavior? 0

Assertive behavior and communication often get confused with aggression, but there is a difference between being assertive and being aggressive.

Aggressive behavior is assertiveness taken too far.

On the other hand, passive behavior is not assertive enough.

Healthy assertive behavior lies in the middle of the continuum between passive and aggressive.

Healthy assertive communication is. . .