Communication matters.

Communication is important to express yourself and to connect and share experiences with others.

Communication is composed of verbal and non-verbal communication.

From Psychology Today, “the belief is that 55% of communication is body language, 38% is the tone of voice, and 7% is the actual words spoken.”

Factors such as tonality, tone, pace and most importantly, body language, all impact the way a message is received.

Communication is so key in our everyday life and in our work. Just being able to sort our basic needs requires a certain level of communication, though we take this for granted in our day to day routines.

Have you ever stopped to think about how important communication really is? What words are you using on a daily basis? What are your thoughts? How do your thoughts come across when expressed out loud?

For many of us, we don’t stop to think about what our communication looks like. We run our daily patterns without realizing consciously what we are actually saying or doing. If this goes unchecked, then we continue these patterns out of habit and routine.

Do you have incessant thoughts that run through your head? Do they just run on and on without end? What are your thoughts trying to tell you? Do you do anything about your thoughts or do you keep letting them run unchecked?

Just like in our daily patterns, if our thoughts (especially negative thoughts) go unchecked, they can manifest into our beliefs and then our actions. Challenging negative thoughts to see if they are really true can help break those patterns and then create the space for new patterns. We first need to be aware of the thoughts and that comes with practice and greater self-awareness.

Communication requires a level of focus. We can multi-task and do several things at once, though the quality of communication suffers. Have you been in a situation where you’re typing an email to your boss while trying to have a conversation with your partner at the same time? You may be half-listening and half-typing and it may ‘seemingly’ work out on both ends, however, do you find yourself not truly focused on your email or the conversation? This is where a certain level of focus comes in; to focus the brain so that you clearly tell it what to do and where to focus your attention.

There are a range of emotions that we go through on a daily basis. You may feel like you are alone (especially if you’re working from home). When you communicate your feelings with another person (co-worker, friend, Lunchclub contact, etc.), you may find that the other person can also relate to your feelings, making you feel less alone. Sharing your feelings and emotions make you human. You are a human being having a human experience.

It’s easy to share and communicate when things are going well, especially in a work environment that fosters face-to-face bonding opportunities. When things aren’t going so well, there can be breakdown in communication and as a result, challenges arise. There are opportunities to ask for clarification, though this happens in a safe environment where both parties are able to talk in an honest and open way without fear.

Communication is challenging when either party doesn’t feel safe to communicate or they don’t feel like sharing, impacting communications when there isn’t trust or rapport established.

You may feel shame for going through things that you think you ‘should’ have been able to navigate better. You may have lost your job during the pandemic and wondering why it’s taking so long to get a new one. It can be challenging to even find the words to express yourself.

You may also find that when you share your experiences, you find the support of others who have also gone through similar experiences. You don’t know what you don’t know; you don’t have perfect information at any given moment, so remember that you’re just doing the best you have with the resources that you have available. By sharing your experiences, you can heal. You can also help others that you don’t know to also heal through your courage in speaking out. I know it can feel challenging, so just do what you need for yourself first.

When we shut down and don’t ‘feel’ like communicating, it can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. It’s key to share in a way that makes you feel safe. Sharing stories is also a way to connect to a community of individuals where others may have gone through similar feelings and experiences to learn from each other.

Communicating creates awareness to receive more information, sometimes tricky to remember when you’re in stressful situations. It’s challenging in the moment to think straight when emotions are involved. On the other hand, it also presents opportunities for you to express yourself and create space for others to express their feelings.