{"id":26286,"date":"2026-01-06T08:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286"},"modified":"2025-12-29T09:52:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:52:44","slug":"improve-your-communication-stop-doing-these-8-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2026\/01\/improve-your-communication-stop-doing-these-8-things.html","title":{"rendered":"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A new year is a natural time to assess what we want to change. Most of us want to be good communicators because we know how central communication is to every relationship. If you want to improve your communication skills, it may help to pause and ask a different question:\u00a0Are there communication habits I have that <\/em>get in the way of better relationships?<\/em><\/p>\n

As we start the year, here are eight habits worth reconsidering if you want to become a better communicator.<\/p>\n

1) How you use AI<\/strong>
The other day, I was writing an email and wanted to be sure I was clear and concise. When I read the revised version generated by AI, it didn\u2019t sound like me at all. While AI can be helpful in many ways, it can also strip away your voice and leave communication feeling sterile and impersonal. If that\u2019s happening to you, consider using AI more sparingly and returning to writing your own emails and texts. Your voice matters.<\/p>\n

2) Telling people to \u201cget over it\u201d or \u201cstop worrying\u201d<\/strong>
Yes, we don\u2019t want to live a life dominated by worry or regret. But some concerns are legitimate and deserve attention. Be careful not to minimize someone else\u2019s experience simply because you don\u2019t understand it or don\u2019t find it worthy of your concern. It\u2019s easy to give advice instead of listening. Most people don\u2019t need fixing. They need to be heard. And what troubles someone else may not trouble you, but it still matters to them.<\/p>\n

3) Making video calls in public<\/strong>
This one is a personal pet peeve. Video calls in public spaces are intrusive and unfair to the people around you who didn\u2019t consent to hearing your conversation. It happens on flights, in restaurants, and even in grocery store lines. Turn off the video and have your conversation privately. Courtesy is part of good communication.<\/p>\n

4) Sending emails that go straight to the point<\/strong>
This is common in my workplace, and I understand why. We are all busy. Still, emails that skip any greeting can feel cold and impersonal. I respond better when someone begins with a simple pleasantry. I\u2019ll be honest, I\u2019ve been guilty of jumping right to the point because I\u2019m busy. But I\u2019m reassessing. For the new year, I\u2019m choosing to lead with a bit more warmth.<\/p>\n

5) Forgetting the value of silence<\/strong>
We don\u2019t have to fill every moment with words. Being able to sit with someone in silence and still appreciate their presence is an underrated skill. Comfort with silence communicates safety, respect, and connection. Make it a goal to become more comfortable saying less.<\/p>\n

6) Speaking without filtering your honesty<\/strong>
There\u2019s a strong push to \u201cbe honest,\u201d and honesty is important. But honesty doesn\u2019t mean saying every thought or feeling out loud. When honesty turns into harsh or harmful words, it\u2019s time to pause. Ask yourself:\u00a0Is this necessary? Will this help, or will it damage the relationship?<\/em>\u00a0Your words matter. Don\u2019t lie, but you also don\u2019t need to express every opinion or emotion especially those that will only provoke conflict. Social media has encouraged impulsive speech. Restraint is often wiser, because words cannot be taken back.<\/p>\n

7) Keeping a running list of unresolved conflicts<\/strong>
This almost always ends in an emotional explosion. When enough unresolved issues pile up, one small trigger can cause everything to spill out at once. In my book\u00a0We Need to Talk<\/a><\/em>, I emphasize the importance of addressing small issues before they become big ones. Conflict resolution is one of the most essential and most neglected skills in relationships. It\u2019s worth practicing.<\/p>\n

8) Refusing to tolerate differences<\/strong>
I worry this is becoming a lost skill. The ability to tolerate differences is essential for both healthy relationships and a civil society. Too often, people who think differently are quickly vilified. We need civil discourse, especially in our political conversations. Be someone who listens and seeks to understand another perspective. You don\u2019t have to agree, but you also don\u2019t have to avoid, silence, or protest those who think differently.<\/p>\n

Better communication often isn\u2019t about learning something new. It\u2019s about letting go of habits that quietly erode connection. And that is a good goal for the new year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new year is a natural time to assess what we want to change. Most of us want to be good communicators because we know how central communication is to every relationship. If you want to improve your communication skills, it may help to pause and ask a different question:\u00a0Are there communication habits I have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[913,914,917],"tags":[9645,9648,4284,9651,9654,9657],"class_list":["post-26286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-couple-relationships","category-family-relationships-2","category-friend-relationships","tag-better-relationships","tag-communication-habits","tag-communication-skills","tag-improving-communication","tag-using-ai","tag-video-calls"],"yoast_head":"\nImprove Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are there communication habits I have that get in the way of better relationships? Here are eight habits to reconsidering.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are there communication habits I have that get in the way of better relationships? Here are eight habits to reconsidering.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doing Life Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T13:00:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-29T14:52:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/12\/email-3249062_1280.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Mintle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@drlindamintle\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things","description":"Are there communication habits I have that get in the way of better relationships? Here are eight habits to reconsidering.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things","og_description":"Are there communication habits I have that get in the way of better relationships? Here are eight habits to reconsidering.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286","og_site_name":"Doing Life Together","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","article_published_time":"2026-01-06T13:00:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-29T14:52:44+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/12\/email-3249062_1280.png"}],"author":"Linda Mintle","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@drlindamintle","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286","name":"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/12\/email-3249062_1280.png","datePublished":"2026-01-06T13:00:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-29T14:52:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142"},"description":"Are there communication habits I have that get in the way of better relationships? Here are eight habits to reconsidering.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/12\/email-3249062_1280.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/12\/email-3249062_1280.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26286#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Improve Your Communication? Stop Doing These 8 Things"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/","name":"Doing Life Together","description":"Relationship Doctor, Mental Health, Emotional Wellness, Relationship Advice & Entertainment","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142","name":"Linda Mintle","description":"It is rare that a trained academic who speaks passionately to the heart of people providing real answers to real life problems is so relatable. Dr. Linda\u2019s fun personality and expertise comes through whether she\u2019s helping her audience stress less or make peace with their thighs! Dr. Linda has her Ph.D. in Urban Health and Clinical Psychology and is a national expert on mental health. She has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety, depression and pain management. With 30 years of clinical experience working with couples, families and individuals, she brings her common-sense approach to people who want to live in positive mental health. Dr. Linda is also a bestselling author with 21 book titles to her credit, a radio host of the Dr. Linda Mintle show, professor, national speaker, winner of the Mom\u2019s Choice Award, a national news consultant, featured writer for Beliefnet and hosts her own website. Her academic appointments keep her abreast of current research in her areas of expertise. Her media experience includes seven years as the resident expert for ABC Family\u2019s Living the Life television show and regular appearances on network television and radio. It is often said that being with Dr. Linda is like having coffee with a friend. She makes the complicated issues of relationships and mental health easy to understand and applicable to everyday living. The ease she has with people, coupled with her clinical training and experience makes her a sought-after speaker on college campuses, conferences and special events. Whether she is doing a TV skit with Tim Conway or discussing teen violence with Queen Latifa, Dr. Linda will entertain, educate and integrate faith and mental health in everyday living. Check out her latest book Hope and Healing for Anxiety, a whole-person approach to eliminate anxiety. .","sameAs":["https:\/\/drlindamintle.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/x.com\/drlindamintle"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/author\/lmintle"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26286"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26295,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26286\/revisions\/26295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}