Why is NVC an everyday skill?

You can have the best diet, do yoga like a pro, yet still have a poor quality of life. Relationship stress – whether from friction in your marriage, yelling and power struggles with your kids or that annoying colleague – all take its toll, often more than we realise.

A holistic framework for health understands this low-grade, daily stress is an important component to rectify in order to live a joyful, flourishing life.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), also known as Compassionate Communication, is both a style of communication and a framework for understanding how to communicate based on empathy, respect and deep listening. 

As NVC founder, Marshall B. Rosenberg says: “'What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart.”
​
Specifically, there are some easily learnable skills we can put into practice every day. Things such as:

1. Not making judgements, which look like: blame, criticism, insults, labels and comparisons
2. Listen deeply to our own emotional needs, and those of others
3. Powerfully yet compassionately communicate our needs 
4. Receive critical and hostile messages without taking them personally, giving in, or losing self-esteem

At Everyday Empowered, we focus on simple, everyday skills because cumulatively, I believe they have the biggest impact on our quality of life, whether for good or ill. Relationship skills, like NVC are critical in creating a flourishing life.