… Listen, I just want to tell you — I attended a workshop called “Resilience and Stability: Effective Communication Under Stress,” and they covered nonviolent communication, and I just can’t stop thinking about it!
You know, after that training on nonviolent communication, I really started thinking about how exhausted we all are right now and how that affects our conversations. Often, we speak not because we want to hurt someone, but simply because we’ve run out of energy inside. And I really resonated with the idea that communication isn’t about “winning an argument,” but about remaining human to one another even in difficult moments.
There were many very simple yet powerful insights. For example, how we constantly confuse facts with our own perceptions or assumptions. Or how, instead of saying “I’m hurt,” we start blaming others or shutting ourselves off. And so, during the workshop, we learned to talk about our feelings and needs a little differently — without aggression, but also without holding back.
What I found most helpful was the hands-on practice. There are four magical steps: observation, feelings, needs, and requests. We split into groups, acted out real-life situations, and were amazed at how changing just a couple of words completely transforms a conversation! We learned to talk about difficult topics without starting World War III, and to simply listen to the person across from us without passing judgment in our heads.
In short, I left there with a bunch of practical tips that I’m going to start putting into action right away — both at home with my family and at work. Now I know for sure that even when everything around me is chaos, I can stay in touch with myself, listen to others, and communicate in a way that supports my loved ones and those around me….
We happened to overhear (just a bit) and wrote down a conversation between a participant in the training session “Resilience and Sustainability: Effective Communication Under Stress” and her friend. And it was really valuable to hear that nonviolent communication isn’t about “the right phrases” or always being perfect. It’s more about being mindful of yourself and the other person. About the ability to say at the right moment: “I’m exhausted right now, I need a break” or “It’s important to me that you hear me.” It’s wonderful that the training left such a warm feeling, as if even in the midst of all this stress, it’s still possible to build normal, humane relationships.
The project is implemented with the support and funding of the German partner women’s organization AMICA e.V. and the German foundation Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung