“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” - Bry

Mobiles, tablets, notebooks, desk tops - eyes down, staring at a screen. How often do you try to speak to someone who is engrossed in the gadget in front of them, occasionally raising their head to blankly look at you? How does this make you feel? Valued? Heard? Cared for? I doubt it! Grrr!

You probably stop speaking quite quickly, feeling demoralised and insignificant. Your teenage daughter is more interested in pictures of kittens, and the latest gossip than your discussion about a family outing; your spouse is more interested in the cricket score or how many 'likes' their photo has attracted than hearing the story of your bad day; the shop assistant is more interested in her twitter feed than in checking you are happy with your purchase. It all adds to a feeling of isolation and despondency.

And television! Children may be exposed to television screens for most of the day, and their parents or carers may be watching the screen without interacting at all! We all need a little bit of escapism, but televisions may be switched on in homes for hours at a time.

Enough ranting. What can we do? Where can we start? Well, how about considering how you would like to be treated, how you would like to be listened to? When your teenage daughter asks a question, do you reply with "Not now, Eastenders is on!" Or when your spouse asks how your day was, do you say "The same as usual," whilst you turn to your phone.

Listening is an art. You can do it badly, or you can do it well. To do it well takes effort, practice and genuine enthusiasm. Try the following:

- when someone speaks to you, turn fully to them. Your body language is important!

- put down anything you are holding, including gadgets, books and papers.

- look them in the eyes. Actively show you are being attentive, like obviously looking in the rearview mirror on a driving test.

- smile and nod encouragement.

- allow people to finish their sentences/stories before speaking.

- ask questions to show you have listened carefully.

Life is so much more fulfilling when we interact fully with others, whether our friends and families, or people we meet in our daily lives. Try practicing good listening for a day, and see what a difference it can make to your life. x