5. Never Open Up When You Are Angry!
This is the cardinal rule of sharing your feelings with others. When you’re angry, you may be tempted to express that anger through hurtful words. Never express yourself when you are angry, since you are likely to do a lot more harm than good – if you feel your tension level rising, simply wait until you calm down. This can be very difficult, especially if you are an impulsive person. However, it would be even more difficult to fix the damage done by hurtful words. Besides this, we all know that we don’t usually mean the things we say when we are angry. There is an old saying that goes like this: “Words are like stones: once you throw a stone in the water, you will never get it back.”
6. Try to Find Common Ground
Another great way to create a friendly and familiar environment with the other person is by finding something that you are both interested in. It could be a movie, a game, a sport or any other hobby that might spark a mutual interest and draw the two of you closer. Establishing common ground like this is certainly much better for opening a difficult conversation than resorting to the classic ‘small talk.’
7. Relax!
The final tip to finding the courage you need to open up is to simply relax. It often happens that we create gloom-and-doom scenarios deep inside our minds – scenarios that remain there most of the time, while the reality is totally different. How many times has it happened that you assumed a person would react badly to something only to realize that you were overly concerned, and the other person is fine? Make sure never to presume the feelings, thoughts or emotions of the other person – you may be terribly wrong. Let them speak for themselves before drawing any conclusions!
These are the seven most important tips to carefully consider before opening up to someone about a serious emotional matter.
