So, today I thought this up. I'm no expert in the area of interpersonal communication, but I thought this was helpful and at least a bit catchy.
Jess is really good at this. Yesterday I came home from work for lunch in a huff, frustrated about some tedious data-transformation project I was working on for the last few hours of the first half of the day that I felt was a big waste of time. She listened to me and my venting, validated my feelings, and expressed concern and appreciation for what I do and how I work to support our family. Thirty minutes later I was renewed by her sweet influence and I was ready to cheerfully go back to work.
So, today I tried to think about a way I could remember in my little man-brain how to try to be like my sweet wife. I came up with this little mnemonic. When someone you love is going through a hard time or is struggling with challenging emotions, you might benefit by expressing "love" through gentle communication:
Listen
Offer help
Validate
Express appreciation
Now, chronologically, I'd actually move the "O" to the end, but LVEO isn't a sticky word I can remember.
So, there you go. Take it for whatever it's worth.
Do you have anything similar to this that you use to remind yourself how to communicate lovingly? If so, please share in the comments.
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