Pick up the phone to make this the least lonely hour in Britain.
We’re going to make Have a Proper Chat a more regular thing, we want you to pick up the phone and have a proper chat. Let’s help make this Britain’s least lonely hour.
A good old chinwag can make us feel gloriously connected, but we realise it could also leave us feeling daunted. Especially if you haven't spoken to someone in a while. So we’ve asked relationship therapist Simone Bose to give us her top five tips to get chatting:
If you are worried about how to start then have some current event stories in mind that you can talk about with whomever you are talking to, but also make sure you aren’t picking insensitive topics that may make the other person uncomfortable.
It’s a balance. Remember to share some of your thoughts and feelings and find things you and the person you’re chatting to can connect on. People will feel closer to you if you’re more vulnerable in the conversation and means they’re more likely to open up
Enjoy and be present in your conversation. The best way to engage fully is to really listen and be interested in what the other person is saying, and not spend time thinking about what you are going to say next.
Consider the amount of time available and where you are when you are having a conversation. If you are going for a nice walk and have the time to talk, then you can chat about deeper subjects. If you are having a short but sweet chat to say hi to someone then keep it lighter.
Picking up on cues from the other person is important, so make sure you’re actively listening to what they’re excited to talk about, what’s important to them or upsetting them. Noticing the inflections, pauses, and emotion in their voice, is a really good way to pick up on things which the other person will like to talk about more.
You can find out more about our Have a Proper Chat campaign here.
