80 Learning Reflection – Active Listening

In the past few days I have really practiced active listening.  I practiced active listening on my roommate, my friend Regan, and my cousin Ben.  My roommate was talking about her classes, Regan was talking about her new friends, and Ben was talking about his recent break up. By listening actively, I was able to better understand what I was being told because I was paying extra attention. When I was talking to Ben, I am very glad I applied active listening to the conversation because it was something that wasn’t easy for him to open up about, so I think he felt very heard when I held eye contact and paraphrased occasionally. When I was active listening to Regan, I struggled to actively listen because she was talking for a long time. Listening so closely for long periods of times can be challenging.