1) Take on the Perspective of others.

Example: Place yourself in that person’s shoes for a second, listen to their tone, body language, and how they are verbalizing what is going on.

2) Try not to make judgments about the person you are talking to.

Example: “Why didn’t you do x,y,z.” “What made you think that?” Really try to focus on your tone in how you communicate with the other person. You want to stay curious about the other person.

3) Recognize the emotion in the conversation.

Example: “wow work sounded stressful today!” “Oh that sounds awful, you had to be so sad/angry, when x,y,z happened.” “I can see the excitement on your face about going on your trip soon!”

4) Communicate the emotions that you are feeling.

Example: “I am so excited you are going on your trip!” “I feel disappointed that you didn’t hear what I wanted.”

5) Practice being Present in the conversation.

Example: Don’t look down at your phone when someone is talking, look away from the person. Try to keep your focus on them completely during the whole conversation.

You can practice this every day with friends, family, co-workers, and even people at the check-out line!=)