#5 Opening up gives an avenue for your problems and frustrations to be addressed. It’s just as the old folks say: sharing your problems even if it’s something as simple as a friendly chat will lighten the emotional burden of it. Opening up doesn’t really mean that you’ll be expecting an answer or good advice to solve your problems.
Sometimes, just the act of sharing allows you to vent those bottled emotions. Then they make your thoughts primed to solve your problems.
Tips on how to open up to people
#1 Evaluate your relationship with the people around you. Make a list of the people in your life most likely to listen without judgement. Start with those people, then once you are comfortable, leave that comfort zone and train yourself to establish communication with other lesser known friends and acquaintances.
A close friend or family member will be the safest choice. After them you can pinpoint certain people who are either a good listener, patient, or open-minded.
#2 Start with sharing something simple. You don’t need to immediately bare your secrets or worldview to the first stranger you meet. The process of opening up requires you to start with something simple yet meaningful to you. From starting with minor stuff you’ll be able to get a feel of the communication process. Practice doing the simple thought relay. And from there, try sharing serious matters to a selected number of people.
#3 Try listening to someone and observe how the process works. If you’re hesitant to open up first, observe how someone does it. Listen to someone share their thoughts and feelings to you. Take note of how they opened up, body language, verbal language, and the tone of their voice.
Do they make eye contact? Speak with extreme emotion? Most importantly, take note of how the communication process eases both the listener and the speaker at the end. From there, you’ll realize how easy it is to establish such communication.
#4 Learn to embrace vulnerability. By opening up, they glimpse your character. Often this makes us feel emotionally naked around people and why people are hesitant to open up in the first place. However, you cannot receive without offering something in return. In exchange for human connection, we accept the possibility of vulnerability.
Knowing how to open up to people is no easy task. It can be a source of apprehension, but that pales in comparison to the rewards of learning how to open up to others.
By PAUL TIMOTHY MANGAY, Lovepanky
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