A question I often ask while observing a couple when something has been communicated from one to the other: “When you heard that did it emotionally make you feel heavier or lighter”? There is an old saying, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you”. The reality is that words can cause injury. Our words, the tone of our voice, whether we raise our voice at the other, and our non-verbal facial expressions and body language all have an influence upon others around us. Negativity, criticism, or words of aggression affect emotions and physiology. It can change the number of heart beats per minute, heart rate variance (HRV), respiration, blood pressure, muscle tension, perspiration, skin temperature, and EEG brain waves. Words and stress from spoken words can affect cortisol levels and negatively influence the immune system. Words can promote healing or make us sick. We can either build one another up or tear one another down. None of us are perfect and realistically there are times we may have intentionally or non-intentionally hurt someone by how we communicated to others. However, we can decide in the present and the future to work on changing how we communicate to others. By so doing we can improve our relationships, improve our mental and physical health, and make the world a better place to live in one person at a time. https://emapdrschuz.com