Communication and Emotions
There are so many definitions for communication for today we say – COMMUNICATION IS THE GLUE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER
When you can communicate effectively, you will be able to form deeper relationships, build an alliance of teamwork, commit yourself and others more easily to responsibility, and increase your problem-solving ability.
To communicate effectively requires skills that include listening, assertiveness, nonverbal techniques, emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage stress.
Emotion plays a large part in our ability to communicate effectively. The best communicators use emotion in a positive manner, evidencing passion, drive, energy, trust, and calmness. However, this skill is one that needs to be learned: it is a natural human trait for our emotions to cloud our ability to communicate, giving away our feelings and disrupting our ability to communicate effectively.
90 – 95% of our decisions are driven by emotions
Our emotions comes from different sources and experiences. When we connect with each others emotions we want to feel understood, heard and close. Emotions are a tool in communication and need to be understood and managed.
Therefore we can already see a integral connection between our emotions and communication
Unfortunately Emotions can become a barrier that makes communication difficult
The meaning of emotional barriers is quite simple and is exactly how it sounds.
An emotional barrier is a mental limitation that prevents you from openly communicating your thoughts and feelings. It has the potential of preventing you from being your authentic self as it affects your emotions and feelings.
You can probably think of a moment where you communicated where your emotions got the better of you and you struggled to communicate?!
Here are the various types of emotional barriers that keep us from healthy and effective communication. I only chose 3 for today : Anger, Pride and Anxiety
Anger Anger is a forceful enemy of effective communication because it affects – in quite a significant part – the way the brain processes information.
When you’re angry, you’re less logical. This makes you less open to other people’s opinions and less capable of solving problems. For example, angry people have difficulty processing logical statements, limiting their ability to accept explanations and solutions offered by others
When anger affects your thinking, you’re likely to express yourself in unhealthy ways. Or in ways that portray you in the wrong way. You may lash out, saying hurtful things that you didn’t mean
Pride Pride is an emotional barrier that influences the way you perceive others.
It prevents you from focusing on anyone’s views and opinions other than your own. For example, you’re likely to dominate a conversation because you don’t value what the other person is saying.
Stubbornness, always having to have the last word or allowing your ego to get in the way and not being able to admit when you’re wrong are huge blocks to effective communication.
This prevents you from hearing out what others have to say or contribute to a conversation.
Collaboration is what makes teams work and is imperative in today’s competitive business environment. When emotional barriers such as pride arise, teamwork and collaboration are unlikely to flourish.
Anxiety and fear Anxiety and fear are common emotions when it comes to communication.
Anxiety is an emotional barrier that hinders effective communication since having an anxious disposition impairs judgment and our ability to act.
Anxiety has a negative impact on the part of your brain that manages creativity and communication skills. For example, your constant worries can hinder your ability to concentrate on the information you are giving or receiving.
How do I deal with EMOTIONAL BARRIERS?
Get in touch with your emotions Know what you are feeling and why you are feeling it and what triggers it and be mindful.
Removing Yourself. When your emotions are running to high and you experience that you cannot communicate well remove yourself from communication until you feel you can collect your thoughts, think clearly and hold back potentially hurtful and irrelevant comments.
Accepting Imperfections. Give yourself permission to not always know the answer and to be vulnerable.
Relaxation Exercises. Give yourself space to breath
Communication is difficult – let us take control of our emotions by being aware and manage it in a way that is constructive – not adding an extra barrier
