Why communication is like chocolate

In Australia, the holy grail of biscuits is the Tim Tam. If you've never tried one, trust me, you should. Calling them a chocolate biscuit is like calling the Eiffel Tower a cool little sculpture. They're pretty amazing. So, while I'm enjoying celebrating international chocolate day with Australia's version of the pain-au-chocolat, it occurred to me: I think chocolate is like communication. Here's why:

Chocolate can be good for you - in the right quantities. So can communication.

It's easy to over-indulge on sweet stuff. That's why anyone helping people with weight maintenance advises: eat less poor-quality chocolate. Rather, choose the good stuff and savour it. Similarly, when it comes to communication: choose your words carefully. Blaise Pascal famously said, "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." Take the time to savour your words and you'll create greater value.

Both chocolate and communication can improve brain function.

An article on the John Hopkins website says dark chocolate can improve brain function. "Flavonols in dark chocolate have a positive impact on brain function, including better reaction time, visual-spatial awareness and stronger memory." In a linguistic context, learning more than one language can also help our brains .

"Studies have shown that people who have learned an additional language have better memories and also are more cognitively creative and mentally flexible than others." Source

Good communication reduces stress. So does good chocolate.

When we share information with others, we feel better. We solve problems better by communicating and can actually reduce tension just by expressing our feelings. According to the medical article I mentioned earlier, chocolate can make us feel less stressed out, too.

"People who ate dark chocolate reported that they felt less stressed, and researchers confirmed that after eating dark chocolate, there were reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol."

Sometimes both chocolate and communication can be overwhelming

Unfortunately, unhealthy communication, just like unhealthy chocolate consumption, can do damage to our bodies and even our brains. Eating too much chocolate has been associated with having less success at long- and short-term weight maintenance, feelings of helplessness and loss of control, unhealthy eating behaviors, greater body image dissatisfaction and reduced quality of life.

Similarly, if we're not able to express how we feel, if we're overwhelmed by our inability to communicate - professionally or personally - or if we feel like what we say or how we say it just isn't good enough, it might be time to get help.

Conclusion

If you're a chocolate addict (in a bad way... it's a serious condition), here's where you can get help: https://www.baysidepsychotherapy.com.au/chocolate-addiction/

And if you're struggling with communication, or are having communication problems (with your marketing, the words in your head, or the communication strategies or stories you're using to reach or convince your audience) reach out to me. I can probably help.

Fancy a chat? Book a 40 minute session here : https://calendly.com/gina_balarin/coaching-intro-session-free

Or buy a copy of The Secret Army: Leadership, Marketing and the Power of People from your local Amazon store.

I'll help you find a healthy relationship with words.