Active Listening (Real Communication)
Making eye contact and doing this minor physical movement shows someone you are actively paying attention without interrupting.
What is Nodding?
Leaving a friend's text message visually viewed without giving any response, which often triggers social anxiety.
What is leaving them on Read / or seen?
The healthiest communication style where you clearly state your needs while remaining polite and respectful to others.
What is Assertive Communication?
Taking a 10-minute break from an argument to cool down prevents you from saying things you will regret later.
What is a Time-Out (or pause)?
Crossing arms, rolling eyes, and leaning away are massive examples of this silent communication method.
What is Body Language?
This conversational trick involves repeating back what someone said in your own words to prove you understood them.
What is Paraphrasing / Mirroring or repeating back to myself?
Typing a text completely in this format usually makes the reader feel like you are aggressively yelling at them.
What is ALL CAPS?
Agreeing to things you hate just to make others happy, which eventually burns out your own mental health.
What is People-Pleasing?
The act of admitting your mistake and saying you are sorry without making excuses for your behavior.
What is a Sincere Apology?
The conversational rule that dictates you should not talk the entire time without letting the other person speak.
What is Turn-Taking?
Instead of giving immediate advice, doing this helps a friend feel heard and supported in their feelings.
What is Validating (or listening without advise)?
This term describes the silent, unwritten expectations for how to behave politely and respectfully on social media and group chats.
What is Netiquette (or digital etiquette)?
This specific 2-letter word is a complete sentence that you can use to protect your time and energy.
What is No?
An agreement where both sides give up a little bit of what they want to find a middle ground that satisfies everyone.
What is a Compromise?
This phrase describes matching the energy, volume, and mood of the environment or group you just walked into.
What is Reading the Room?
Asking questions that require a full explanation instead of a simple "yes" or "no" answer to keep a conversation moving.
What are Open-Ended Questions?
Abruptly cutting off all online communication with someone you are dating instead of telling them you want to break up.
What is Ghosting?
Sentences that start with this specific pronoun help you state your feelings without making the other person feel attacked.
What are "I" Statements?
The ultimate goal of a healthy argument should be finding a solution to the issue, rather than doing this to the other person.
What is Winning the Argument?
The specific ability to sense, understand, and share the feelings of another person when they are upset.
What is Empathy?
The psychological(mental) habit of letting someone finish talking completely before you plan out what you are going to say next.
What is Listening to Understand (instead of listening to respond)?
It is best practice to ask for this explicit form of permission before sharing a private screenshot or photo of a friend.
What is Consent?
The specific type of boundary you set when you tell friends you cannot hang out because you need to study or work.
What is a Time / Priority Boundary?
Bringing in an objective, neutral third friend or counselor to help two arguing people settle a massive disagreement fairly.
What is Mediation?
If someone is giving short, one-word answers and looking at their watch, they are likely giving you a signal to do this.
What is End the Conversation?