Communication Skill Enhancer

Thank you for sharing your communication preferences and challenges. Here's a personalized strategy designed to help you refine your communication skills:

Emotion Vocabulary Enhancement:
Given that you struggle to express feelings and emotions:

Compile a list of emotion words (like "frustrated," "content," "elated").
Reflect on your day and identify at least three emotions you felt, journaling about why you felt them. This exercise will help you become more attuned to your emotions and expand your emotional vocabulary.

"Feeling, Need, Request" Framework:
For intimate and personal conversations:

Structure your statements as "I feel [emotion] when [situation]. I need [requirement]. Can we [suggestion/request]?"
This approach offers clarity about your feelings, states your needs, and provides a direction for resolution.

Active Listening:
Inspired by Oprah's empathetic style:

When someone is talking, focus solely on understanding their perspective without formulating a response.
Respond first by summarizing what they said, ensuring you understood correctly. This validates the speaker and makes them feel heard.

Assertiveness Training:
Given your goal for assertiveness:

Practice the "broken record" technique. When you need to assert yourself, calmly and firmly repeat your statement or request until the other party acknowledges it.
Role-play assertive communication with a trusted friend, giving each other feedback.

Avoidance of Qualifiers:
Given phrases like "I guess" and "Maybe":

During conversations, be conscious of these words. If you catch yourself using them, pause and rephrase.
Instead of "I guess I'm okay," say "I am okay."

Body Language Awareness:
Considering you tend to cross your arms:

During conversations, particularly personal ones, make a conscious effort to uncross your arms. This simple change can make you seem more open and receptive.
Explore grounding techniques, like feeling your feet on the floor or hand on your heart, to maintain open body language.

Role-Playing and Feedback:
Given your success in structured work presentations:

Organize mock conversations or role-playing sessions focusing on personal topics with trusted friends.
Afterward, solicit feedback. This way, you'll practice articulating feelings in a low-pressure setting.

Cultural Sensitivity Exercise:
Considering the cultural background:

Reflect on the values and communication norms of your upbringing.
Recognize that while your cultural background influences your communication, it doesn’t define it. Empower yourself to adopt communication styles that resonate most authentically with you.

Daily Reflection:
Using the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" as a guide:

At the end of each day, reflect on one principle from the book and assess how you practiced or could've practiced it in your interactions.

Join a Communication Workshop or Group:
Given you've had no formal training:

Consider joining workshops or group sessions focused on verbal communication. This provides a structured environment to learn and practice.
Conclusion: Communication is a journey, and it's commendable that you're taking steps to improve. By integrating these strategies, you'll find yourself gradually becoming more adept at expressing your feelings and enhancing your interpersonal connections. Stay patient and give yourself credit for each small improvement.