Sharpening Your Social Skills

We exercise our social skills in daily interactions with others through verbal and non-verbal communication. It never hurts to brush up on our social skills for building relationships and effective communication. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to sharpen our social skills.

1. Be a good listener: It’s easy to get lost in thought at times and miss an important message or piece of information. Being a good listener when others are speaking can help you to develop mindful responses. Sometimes someone just needs an open ear to voice their thoughts.

2. Get outside your comfort zone: Try new things and push your boundaries. When you attend an event or try a new activity you may make some good memories, have a story to tell, and meet new people. There are many ways to engage virtually including social media, video calls, and online groups.

3. Practice good manners and be polite: There is a difference between having good manners and just being polite. By practicing being polite and respectful you will build good manners.

4. Body language: Be self-aware of your non-verbal communication. For example, crossing your arms gives off a signal of being closed and withdrawn. Be mindful of your posture, hand gestures, and reading the body language of others in social situations. Sometimes picking up on these queues can further a message or feeling. They say actions speak louder than words.

5. Read the room: This goes beyond show business! Learn to read your audience and your surroundings. There is a time and place for everything and sometimes letting your guard down or telling a joke might do more harm than good. Remember to assess the situation to have effective and mindful communication and actions.

6. Stay in touch: Sometimes the little things go a long way. Write a thank-you note, holiday card, or birthday wish to your social circle. Reach out to others to invite them to events or just to stay in communication. Be generous with compliments. It can be just as fulfilling to give someone a compliment as it is to receive one. It’s easy to forget and lose touch and sometimes it’s just as simple as an email or text.

7. Be yourself: Let your personality shine. When you are truly being genuine you can be your best self. At the end of the day, you owe it to yourself to follow your heart be yourself. Remember confidence is key!

These are just some of many tips to explore for furthering our social skills. Social skills are practiced through engagement and action to feel comfortable and confident. By practicing good social skills we can effectively communicate and build relationships with others.

Resources:

Online communities: https://www.idealist.org/en/days/online-communities-join-while-social-distancing

Video call article: https://medium.com/swlh/video-chat-can-ease-the-psychological-stress-of-social-distancing-9b4 8fab0d2f1

Public speaking and leadership club: https://www.toastmasters.org/

Companion care: https://www.seniorhelpers.com/tx/san-antonio-north/services/companion-care/