Listening beyond boundaries: A practical approach towards mental health and well-being

Description

Page: 1388-1394

Sanju Arya and Harshita Jha (Defence Institute of Psychological Research, DR & DO, Timarpur, Delhi) Abdul Gafoor (Jamia Millia Islamia University, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi) Sudarshan Behera
(Defence Institute of Psychological Research, DR & DO, Timarpur, Delhi)

In the modern era, Listening as a communication process is perhaps one of the most underrated and undervalued skills. The value of Listening as a fundamental and potent way to commune with people around us is seldom explored. Listening as a process involves physiological as well as psychosocial aspects. In simple words, Listening is more than just hearing, it is about having an attitude, interest or effort in getting to know people around you as well as yourself. In the present paper, Listening as a concept has been discussed in the context of ‘Listening Community’, a recent initiative by an independent group of individuals who serve together with the common interest to create awareness about importance of listening, to promote development of listening skills and provide training in cultivation of listening behavior. Listening has been examined through the lens of Clinical, Psychosocial, Emotional and Cultural perspectives. In the above context, this paper intends to discuss the theoretical underpinnings of the Listening Buffer Model (LBM). The authors have conceptualized two models, namely ‘Promotive Mental Heath Model’ (PMHM) and ‘Supportive Mental Health Model’ (SMHM). In both these models, Listening plays a mediating role in promotion and development of mental health and well-being. In addition, the concept of ‘Listening Community’ has also been explained along with case studies. The implications and future scope of work in this area have also been mentioned.