How can you use active listening to reduce stress?

Active listening is very important for healthcare workers in a hospital setting. It means paying attention to patients' worries, feelings, and medical information. This helps doctors make more accurate diagnoses, makes patients happier, and helps staff talk to each other better. It also builds empathy and emotional support, which are very important in healthcare settings, and helps stop miscommunication and medical mistakes.

As a trauma therapist, I use active listening most often. It's a skill that requires giving someone your full and present attention. It relies on nonverbal cues (i.e., maintaining eye contact, nodding in agreement, and using facial expressions) to show engagement. I may also use clarifying questions and summarizing what I've heard while also reflecting on the emotions I am seeing and feeling as a way to better understand. I also wait until the speaker has finished before sharing my verbal response.

Active listening reduces anxiety in the healthcare setting by improving two-way dialogue between patients and doctors. When patients feel heard and understood, they experience a sense of emotional support and agency over their healthcare decisions. Providers who take the time to explain things thoroughly and show compassion can help patients feel more at ease during medical procedures. Active listening promotes productive teamwork among healthcare professionals, lessening the burden of miscommunication or conflicts within the care team. It also aids in the early detection of patient concerns, which can lead to better outcomes and less stress due to complications.

The ability to listen attentively is crucial in the healthcare setting. Professionals in the healthcare industry can practice it by maintaining eye contact with patients and displaying a friendly demeanor. The patient's words, feelings, and body language should all be taken into account. Understanding is facilitated by restating and clarifying information. Building trust and improving healthcare outcomes go hand in hand when patients are encouraged to share their experiences and concerns and providers respond with empathy. Improved care experiences and patient satisfaction can result from better communication between patients and healthcare providers thanks to active listening in the healthcare setting.

Inter- and intra-Cultural values, accents, physical tics, and even speech impediments such as lisps or stuttering can also be possible barriers to active listening. As a listener, you are free to ask the speaker to talk more slowly and ask for examples. Also, ask if they can rephrase a sentence or two if you still don’t understand what the speaker is trying to relay. Wait until after the speaker completes their thought(s) so nobody is talking over one another which may cause more difficulties and frustration in understanding key points.

I’m no expert, and I don’t speak for everyone… Please be patient with those of us who wear hearing aids. Some of us Boomers enjoyed our rock’n’roll a little too loud, and we’re paying the price for it now. Please slow down a little, enunciate!, and maybe speak a little louder than you might think is normal. And let us see your lips: I’m not very good at it yet, but some of us can read your lips to help us understand the words you are saying. If you speak with a foreign accent (even in English from the British Isles, the Caribbean, and elsewhere), we may ask you to help us even more than our countrymen (and -women). Thanks to you all! —D.J.Q.

ADHD can present unique challenges when it comes to active listening. Distractions, restlessness, & impulsivity can interfere with staying engaged during a conversation. To overcome these barriers, individuals with ADHD can employ some helpful strategies. Finding a quiet & comfortable environment for the conversation can minimise distractions. Setting clear intentions before the discussion, like outlining the goals or key points to focus on, can enhance concentration. It's also beneficial to practice active listening techniques like nodding, summarising, & asking questions to stay engaged. For those with ADHD, maintaining regular breaks can help manage restlessness, while the use of fidget tools may provide an outlet for excess energy.

Choosing quiet spaces, allocating enough time for patient consultations, and using plain language to enhance understanding are all ways to overcome barriers to active listening in a hospital setting. Keeping one's cool and concentrating on what the patients actually need is essential. Recognizing and responding to linguistic and cultural differences is essential, as is avoiding distractions. Active listening skills are essential in the healthcare setting, so it's important to regularly ask for feedback from patients and coworkers.

Active listening has lasting benefits in hospitals. Healthcare providers and patients develop healthier, more collaborative relationships through trust. Trust improves patient experiences and long-term healthcare outcomes. Active listening is crucial to medical team conflict resolution. It lets healthcare professionals resolve conflicts constructively, improving workflows and patient care. This promotes cooperation and collaboration over time. Active listening in healthcare improves patient satisfaction and well-being over time. Patients trust their doctors more when they feel heard, valued, and understood. Patient compliance with treatment plans and health outcomes improve.