Communication Skills for Teens: 7 Skills Every Teen Should Have

Are you often misunderstood?

Or do you often argue with friends and family?

Maybe you’re not good at expressing your feelings and opinions. And even when we try, no one seems to listen.

communication is key life skills for teens. However, in my years of experience coaching teens, I have found that this is an area that many struggle with.

This may be due to changes that occur in the brain during the teenage years. These changes can impact: unpredictable emotionsaffects how you interact with others.

Of course, it’s always important to take responsibility for your words and actions. But the sooner you learn how to communicate and deal with big emotions, the more likely you are to have healthy, happy relationships.

This article describes some techniques you can learn to improve your communication skills.

(Don’t forget to download our free quick action guide below.)

Benefits of good communication skills

Learning to communicate well allows you to speak respectfully about your thoughts, feelings, and needs. It also makes the other person more open and receptive to what you have to say.

The benefits of having good communication skills include:

• Collaborate effectively. Maybe you’re working on a group project or collaborating with colleagues. In these cases, your communication skills can help you and your colleagues be more efficient and productive.
• Prevent misunderstandings. Good communication makes it easier to understand what the other person is trying to say. It also prevents the other person from misjudging or misunderstanding your words.
• Handle and resolve conflicts. Learn to talk about issues honestly, calmly, and respectfully. This allows both parties to focus on finding a solution instead of getting irritated with each other.
• Establish trust. Good communication lets others know that you want to understand their opinions, ideas, and feelings. By making them feel heard, you create a safe environment for them to be honest and open up.
• Build empathy. Learning to actively listen will help you better understand other people’s perspectives. By doing so, you can build a deeper sense of empathy for those around you.

Good communication helps you build healthy relationships at home, school, and work. As a result, you will experience more happiness and fulfillment in your relationships.

7 important communication skills that teenagers should learn

Sometimes we don’t realize that the way we interact with others can be harmful to them and to ourselves.

For example, you may suppress your emotions and opinions for fear of offending others.

Or maybe you’re used to yelling to get your point across.

Changing these habits can be difficult at first. But with patience and practice, you can learn to communicate in a healthy way.

Here are the skills you should develop if you want to improve the way you communicate.

Skill #1: Actively Listen

Good communication is more than just talking.

Only when you hear the other person’s side of the story can you give the best response.

This is why it’s important to actively listen when others are speaking. It also makes the other person feel heard and respected.

Here are some tips to keep in mind.

• Have the right intentions. When you listen, listen to understand where the other person is speaking from. Do not do this to refute or ignore the points raised.
• Listen without interruption. Don’t speak for others, even if you feel angry or misunderstood. This will make it seem like you don’t care about what the other person has to say.
• Keep distractions away. When someone is talking to you, it’s important to show that you’re paying attention. For example, put your phone away and focus only on the conversation at hand.

Stay present and concentrate on the conversation. And instead of jumping to conclusions, ask questions to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Skill #2: Choose the right communication channel

Have you ever sent a simple, neutral text only to be perceived as passive-aggressive?

Maybe you’ve spent hours texting back and forth to resolve an issue that should have been discussed in person.

Choosing the right way to convey your message can be difficult.

In general, consider the following factors when deciding how to communicate with someone:

• intimacy of the relationship. How well do you know the person? If the person is an acquaintance, a text message may be a better option. For those closer to you, you may want to consider additional options, such as a phone call or in-person meeting.
• Confidentiality of the issue. Are you talking about a private or sensitive issue? In that case, it may be better to meet over the phone or in person. Emails and texts can be easily misinterpreted if you don’t listen to the tone of the other person’s voice or look at their nonverbal cues.
• How much information is there to share? Text messages are great for short and casual conversations. On the other hand, if you want to discuss more complex issues, a telephone or face-to-face conversation is better.
• Urgency of the issue. If the issue is urgent, you can get your message across faster by phone or in-person conversation than by email or text.

If you choose the right communication channel, there is less room for misunderstandings.

Skill #3: Be clear, direct, and concise.

Have you ever been listening to someone talk and had no idea what they were trying to say?

That’s why it’s important to communicate clearly and directly.

You may not feel comfortable talking about certain issues. However, arguing unfairly or holding back your feelings will affect your relationship in the long run.

Of course, you should always be respectful of your word choice and tone. Instead of saying, “You’re being ridiculous,” try saying, “I’m annoyed because you didn’t keep your word.”

You can also plan what you want to say before the conversation. If the issue is serious, take some time to think about how you can discuss it calmly.

Plan the purpose of the discussion. What are you angry about? What kind of solution will you propose? Once you have thought it through, you can discuss the issue.

That way, you can listen to the other person’s opinion. By being clear and concise, you avoid confusing your audience when you’re speaking.

Skill #4: Be aware of your body language

Your body language tells the other person whether you are listening and genuinely care. These positive cues include:

Even the distance between you and the other person can make a difference. For example, standing too close to someone while you’re talking to them can make them feel uncomfortable.

Skill #5: Keep your emotions in check

Big, intense emotions are not a bad thing.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and frustrated from time to time. But don’t let your emotions drive you to say mean or unhelpful things.

Instead of suppressing your emotions or letting them get out of control, try the following:

• Practice noticing your emotions. When you start to get angry, stop and take a deep breath. If necessary, stop the conversation and give yourself time to think.
• Learn how to name your emotions. Is it disappointment, anger, or jealousy? You may be experiencing multiple types of emotions right now. When naming your feelings, try to identify the reason behind them.
• Accept your emotions, but don’t let them control you. There’s no need to feel bad about having strong emotions. What matters is what you do with them.
• Find healthy ways to deal with your emotions. For example, writing in a diary or going for a quick run can help you organize your emotions and think more clearly.

Learning to become master of your emotions will help you make good decisions In terms of what to say.

Skill #6: Understand how to handle conflict

Avoiding conflict is not helpful because conflict is a normal part of relationships.

Conflict resolution is an important skill to learn and practice. Here are some tips for dealing with conflicts.

• Use the word “I” more often instead of the word “you.” For example, instead of “You’re so irresponsible when you’re late,” you can say, “When you’re late, I feel unimportant.” Expressing “I” helps the other person understand your feelings without feeling the need to defend themselves.
• Empathize with the other person. Ask them how they feel. Listen carefully to their reactions and try to understand where they are coming from rather than jumping to conclusions.
• Don’t bring up the past. Bringing up things from the past will not solve the problem. That will probably just irritate you and others even more. Therefore, focus your conversation on current issues.

The most important thing is to choose your battles wisely. Conflict is emotionally draining. Therefore, it’s important to know when to stop the conversation and move on.

Skill #7: Control tone and volume

The tone of your voice is just as powerful as your words. Speaking loudly or using an impatient, negative, or sarcastic tone can create conflict or make an existing conflict worse.

When speaking, be aware of your tone and volume. If you don’t practice self-awareness, yelling or speaking in a rude tone can become a bad habit.

Perhaps you know that you have a hard time using a calm, respectful tone when you’re frustrated or stressed. If this happens, stop the conversation first and try to remain calm before resuming it later.

conclusion

It takes a lot of practice to communicate well. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t always get it right.

The most important thing is the willingness to admit your mistakes and learn from them.

When you become a good communicator, you will be able to have fruitful and meaningful conversations with the people around you.

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