Mindful Speech: Enhancing Teen Communication & Emotional Intelligence

Mindful speech can help your teen improve interpersonal relationships, express themselves more clearly, and develop emotional intelligence. However, mindful communication is a skill that must be practiced in order to develop. The benefits of mindful communication skills in teens includes improved relationships, self-confidence, and emotional intelligence.

Beachside Teen Treatment Center is here to help teens and also provides resources for parents and families. Call us today at (888)254-0916 to learn more about our teen mental health treatment programs in Los Angeles.

What Is Mindful Speech?

Mindful speech is the practice of speaking with intention, awareness, and empathy, focusing on the impact of our words on others.​

Mindful speech involves being present and intentional in conversations, choosing words that are truthful, kind, and constructive. For teens, practicing mindful speech can lead to better relationships, enhanced self-awareness, and improved emotional regulation.​

Mindful Speech + Emotional Intelligence

According to Healthcare, “Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, express, understand, and manage emotions.”

Emotional intelligence in teens takes practice to develop. Mindful speech can help teens develop emotional intelligence. This is because emotional intelligence involves mindful communication skills as well as the ability to identify a variety of internal emotional experiences.

By developing teen communication skills, teens develop an awareness of themselves and others. This helps them understand the emotional states and experiences of others through active listening and mindful speech. 

In addition, by improving their own communication skills, teens learn how to articulate their internal experiences—further developing their emotional intelligence.

Benefits of Mindful Communication for Teens

There are several benefits of mindful communication for teens, including the following:

• Improved relationships with peers and family: By developing mindful communication skills, teens not only feel heard and understood, but their families and friends feel the same. This helps to improve relationships, as each person in the conversation feels heard.
• Enhanced emotional intelligence: One of the most transformative benefits of mindful speech is developing emotional intelligence. Teens engaging in mindful conversations learn how to empathize as well as how to express their own emotions. This skill requires advanced emotional intelligence.
• Better conflict resolution skills: A primary cause of interpersonal conflicts is a failure to communicate clearly. Oftentimes, people have conflicts or arguments because they weren’t really listening to each other’s needs. Mindful communication skills include understanding subtext, interpreting body language, and verifying that you’ve understood what the other person expressed.
• Increased self-awareness​: Any mindful activity—from communicating mindfully to meditation—helps to increase a person’s self-awareness. Practicing mindfulness as often as possible shifts a person’s actions and thoughts from “auto-pilot” to being intentional.
• Improving teen conversations: Mindful speech also improves a teen’s conversational skills. This can help teens who are shy or those who struggle with social anxiety feel more confident when they engage in social activities.

Practical Strategies for Practicing Mindful Speech

The following are practical strategies for practicing mindful speech:

• Pause before responding: Take a brief pause before responding to the other person. This can prevent impulsive reactions and allow you to formulate a more thoughtful response. Pausing also allows you to listen fully before responding. 
• Choose words carefully: In other words, think before you speak. Ask yourself if your words are necessary, truthful, and kind. This is another reason why pausing is vital to mindful communication—you need time to think about what you are going to say.
• Listen actively and empathetically: Pay full attention to the speaker without interrupting them or jumping in quickly to respond. Active listening skills for teens involves showing that you are listening through nods, eye contact, and verbal affirmations like “I see” or “I understand.” In addition, you can summarize what the other person said to verify that you’ve understood. (For example, “what I heard you say was ________, is that correct?”)
• Reflect on the impact of your words: Before speaking, think about whether your words are helpful and considerate. This is why it is important to avoid using sarcasm, insults, or harsh and offensive language. 
• Ask open-ended questions: Encourage meaningful dialogue by asking questions that require more than a yes-or-no answer. This shows that you are interested in the other person’s thoughts and feelings. 

Additional Tips For Parents (Improving Your Teen’s Communication Skills)

For parents helping their teen develop communication skills, your guidance and support can make a significant difference. Practicing mindful speech with your teen can also improve your relationship with them.

The following are additional tips for parents to help their teen’s communication skills:

• Lead by Example: It’s important for parents to demonstrate mindful speech in their interactions. Your teens will learn from your behavior and follow your example. Furthermore, if you expect your teen to behave in a way that you yourself don’t practice, your teen will get mixed signals or not take you seriously.
• Create Safe Spaces: Teens need to feel safe to express themselves to you. For instance, if they are worried about disappointing or upsetting you, they might withhold information from you. That is why it is vital to foster an environment where your teen feels comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment or harsh criticism. 
• Give Constructive Feedback: When addressing miscommunication, issues, or conflicts, focus on the behavior rather than your teen. For example, instead of saying “you’re bad for saying that,” explain why the statement your teen made was offensive or insulting. This will help them develop their self-awareness when communicating with others.
• Use “I” statements: “I” statements are a helpful way to express your feelings while avoiding blaming language. Rather than shaming another person or blaming them for how you feel, “I” statements show the other person the effect their actions have on your feelings. For instance, “I feel upset when I don’t feel like I’m being heard.”

Recommended: What Parents Can Expect

Overcoming Common Communication Challenges

When practicing mindful speech, you’ll likely encounter some of the following common communication challenges:

• Dealing with misunderstandings: Even when you practice mindful communication, you might still misunderstand what the other person has said. This is why re-stating or summarizing what the other person has said is a vital proactive communication skill. By verifying that you’ve heard the person correctly, you can minimize misunderstandings.
• Managing emotional reactions: No matter how hard you try to not get emotional, sometimes, you can’t help feeling triggered. When this happens, take a break to go for a walk or be alone for a few minutes to calm down. However, it’s important that you still continue the discussion once you’ve taken time to manage your emotions.
• Navigating difficult conversations​: Mindful communication is one of the best ways to navigate difficult conversations. Oftentimes, teens—and parents—try to avoid difficult conversations with peers or family members. Do your best to prepare the environment to be private and safe—and remember to take breaks if you or the other person feel emotionally triggered.

In addition, professional help during family therapy can be critical to navigating communication challenges. By having a trained therapist facilitate the discussion, family therapy allows everyone the chance to be heard.

Encouraging Mindful Speech in Daily Life

You can help your teen by encouraging mindful speech in daily life. Sometimes, it’s easy to neglect communication as a skill to develop. But, developing mindful communication skills in teens requires practice.

Parents can encourage mindful speech with the following tips:

• Setting personal communication goals: This can be as simple as talking to your teen about how their day went. Even just a few minutes can help, as long as it is consistent. Set up routines, like family dinners, to encourage communication—or, if your teen is busy with after-school activities, practice mindful speech while driving your teen home or to other places.
• Practicing mindfulness techniques: Other mindfulness techniques can help train your teen to be mindful when communicating. Mindfulness activities can include meditation, breathwork, yoga, exercise, or mindful walks in nature.
• Seeking feedback from trusted individuals​: Your teen will need feedback on their communication skills from trusted individuals. Talk to your teen’s teachers, coaches, or other trusted people in your teen’s life about their communication skills.

Get Help for Your Teen Today

If your teen struggles with communication or other important social skills, this could be a sign of an underlying behavior, emotional, or mental health disorder. Our teen treatment center in Los Angeles, California, helps teens with several types of common teen mental and behavioral health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, learning disabilities, trauma, and eating disorders. 

In addition, our treatment programs can help your teen build their communication skills, which can improve self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships.

Contact Beachside Teen Treatment Center today to get your teen the help they deserve.