Communication Exercises:Exercises to Improve Your Communication Style!There are several communication exercises to help improve your communication skills. Here are a few that I have tried with myself and during therapy. Journaling: Journaling is a great ventilation method. It's just you, your thoughts, and your notebook. And the beauty of having a journal is, you can write about your "true" feelings without having to share it with anyone. If you have never had a journal, I would recommend that you go out and buy one. There are many journals to choose from and they range in price and style. Find one that fits you! I provide a complimentary journal for my newsletter subscribers. If you're interested in receiving a free journal, I recommend that you sign up for the Relationship-with-Self newsletter. If you don't know what to write about once you find the right journal, I highly recommend trying these tips: Date the journal entry with the day, time, and year. Dating the journal entry is very helpful when you are going back and looking for answers or reasons why you may be feeling a certain way. It is also helpful to discover how much you have grown over the weeks, months, or years. Talk about what's bothering you first. Write about relationships or other incidents that has got you bothered for that day. Analyze what's on your mind first, "Are you thinking about what you 'should' have said?" or "Are you having negative thoughts about yourself?" Whatever the case, write your thoughts down. Then after you have shared your thoughts, write down your feelings. For instance, do you feel sad that someone put you down? Or do you feel angry that your mother didn't listen to you? Share your positive moments for that day. After you have shared your upsetting moments, share what you're thankful about. This will not only help you cope with the disturbing incidents of the day, but this will also help you feel better about yourself. Always end your journal entry with something positive about yourself and all the blessings that you're thankful for. Not only will you have ventilated all of your "true" feelings, but you'll also find something positive to say in the end. Here are other communication exercises that I feel are beneficial. Writing a Letter: If you're in need of resolving issues with family members, friends, or other loved ones, writing a letter is a great way to make amends. However, the hard part is making a choice to do it! A while ago I wrote a letter to my mother about how I have "truly" felt about our relationship. This was very hard to do yet very empowering. I felt so refreshed after I wrote the letter, that I questioned why I didn't write it much earlier. However, my mother wasn't very happy when she received it. Of course, I wasn't expecting her to be jumping for joy, but it was something that I had to do in order to move forward with my own life. After the chaos blew over, she and I were able to move on understanding each other's point of view. I will never regret writing that letter to her and I will highly recommend writing a letter for your own personal issues as well. However, here are a few things to keep in mind.. Only write and "send" the letter if you believe it will truly help the relationship. If it won't help the relationship, write the letter for your own sake but don't send it. Writing the letter without sending it may be therapeutic enough for you to move on. Try not to use attacks, assumptions, downgrading remarks, or any other form that will make the relationship worse. Stick with your feelings in an assertive way without putting anyone else down in the process. These two communication exercises are the best forms of sharing your feelings when it's hard to speak to someone face to face about your thoughts. Writing exercises are recommended to help you get in touch with yourself first before communicating with others. In a way, writing is a form of clarification and assurance that your thoughts and feelings are valid. Verbal Exercises: After you have mastered the writing communication exercises, it's highly recommended that you practice verbal exercises such as mastering assertiveness skills. Assertive communication is an excellent way to express yourself, get your needs met, honor other people's feelings, and decrease your chances of having a mental illness. So, practice assertive communication along with other communication exercises on a daily basis and you will master your life creating a loving, healthy relationship with yourself. Related Articles for Communication Exercises: Self-Talk Awareness
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