Do you want to improve the relationship you have with others? Sometimes it's enough to put yourself in their shoes. Today we are going to introduce you to 5 strategies to improve empathy.
Last update: April 17, 2021
It is undeniable, relationships are different from each other both for the bond and for the people involved. Some enrich us, others don't. However, if we learn how to improve our ability to be empathetic, we can build better relationships. Therefore we present some strategies to improve empathy.
Relationships are stronger the more intense the emotional bond is created. To make them last long, you need to take care of them and strive to share positive experiences based on trust and complicity.
The secret seems to be putting yourself in the other's shoes, try to understand what he feels and observe the world from his perspective in order to understand his point of view. In essence, it's about improving empathy, that invisible thread that binds us to others. Let's find out how!
“Empathy is the greatest virtue. From there all the virtues flow ”.
-Eric Zorn-
5 strategies to improve empathy
1. Improve empathy by thinking about the other
Empathy is the art of putting yourself in the other person's shoes. One way to cultivate it is to think about the other person. In this way, we can connect more easily with others.
This doesn't just mean remembering a person, but wondering what he would think in a given situation, how he would behave or what he would say. Also, you have to take into account what his limitations are, what difficulties he is going through and what his goals are. In this way, we will be able to understand what his point of view is and go beyond ourselves.
2. Abandon our world
Another aspect of improving empathy is to stop believing that you are at the center of the universe and that there is nothing or anyone more important than us. By doing this, it will be easier to know and understand other people's point of view.
Giving up self-centeredness will allow us to be more tolerant and understanding. While it is possible that we may feel uncomfortable at times, the effort to realize that we can all make mistakes is a productive operation. In this way, it will be easier to relativize the gravity of what was bothering us.
To get out of our world, we can start by truly listening to the other.
Active listening helps to improve empathy because it forces us to pay attention to the other person and give them the importance they deserve.
3. Read between the lines
Reading between the lines means going beyond the words a person says. The body also has its own language. Therefore, knowing body language will give us more information about a person.
Sometimes, people are unable to put into words what they are feeling, but if we know how to read between the lines, we can understand their state of mind. By doing so we will have more resources, in addition to the verbal ones, to decipher the real message they want to convey to us.
4. Say goodbye to prejudice to improve empathy
Usually, we tend to believe that our way of thinking is reality and that we are the possessors of an absolute truth. The problem is that if we do not ask ourselves questions, we will tend to reject any opinion other than our view of reality.
The point is that we are not always right and often let ourselves be influenced by assumptions and prejudices. If we are to truly put ourselves in others' shoes, we must learn to understand them rather than judge them.
In this sense, before allowing prejudices to affect our understanding of others, we must remain calm and control our opinions.
The secret is to pay attention to what they tell us rather than embroidering stories that have no basis. In this way, we will limit the bad habit of basing our thinking on prejudices. This will allow us to have a more real opinion about people.
5. Pay attention to how we communicate
In relationships between people, communication is very important. Through it, we make others understand what we think and what we feel. Therefore, paying attention to what we say and how we do it is of paramount importance.
Then, to improve empathy, it is important to have an assertive communication style. How to do? Here are some tips:
- Do not judge.
- Practice emotional responsibility.
- Establish limits.
- Listen to others.
- Identify and express what we feel.
- Clearly express what we want and what we expect.
As you have seen, there are many ways to improve empathy and connect with others. In fact, you have to be willing to leave your comfort zone. Only in this way will we be able to discover other worlds and not limit ourselves only to what we know.
“Being empathic means seeing the world through the eyes of others and not seeing our world reflected in theirs”.
-Carl Rogers-
