Article: Mental Self Help – Can You Avoid A Breakdown Of Communication?

We all need to communicate well in order to build and maintain good relationships with people. Your job can even depend on it – you may need to sell, persuade, teach, lead… There are many times when you need to be a skilful communicator. Sometimes our communications may need some mental self help to make them better.

We all have times when no-one seems to understand us – it’s probably happened to you many times. You seem to be unable to get through to the other person, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes these differences can lead to the breakdown in relationships or even more serious consequences.

How do you get your message to the outside world?

A good question.

The first thing is to consider just how you communicate to the outside world.

You communicate with other people through your words, your body language and your tone of voice. A study of the effectiveness of these different means of communication showed that the content of the words you use is the least important, tone of voice is next while body language accounts for more than half of the communication.

When we look at these three things, the least important, your words, is the one is the one that communicates complicated ideas while the most important one, your body language, is most effective at communicating emotions and feelings. The first mental self help tip is to realise that human communications are a blunt instruments.

The exaggerated communications you see in television commercials are a result of the nature of human communication.

The final means of communication you need to think about for longer term relationships is your actions. These will enable people to build up a picture over time of how you respond in certain circumstances.

What’s In Your Mind?
One of the challenges of human communication is that we are all very complex psychological beings. You have a rich inner life. You have a complex system of beliefs, values, and deeper levels of identity and spirituality.

You have accumulated a lifetime of experiences. These experiences have been absorbed into your subconscious nature and they have produced deeply ingrained mental habits - as you get older this just gets worse!

You have also learnt from your parents, your teachers, your society… your life experiences in general a whole complex set of rules for simplifying and processing all the information that your senses take in.

One of the common sources of frustration with communication is that what you are experiencing is so complex and unique to you, you simply can’t express it!

Consider the other person

We’ve seen how complex your mind is and how the instrument of communication cannot convey enough data for use to communicate precisely. Everyone you try to communicate with is facing the same problems.

Looking at the process of communication in detail – you start with an idea which is a complex of emotions, thoughts and memories that are in your mind. First you have to simplify it and turn it in to actions and words. Which you can transmit.

The other person receives it through their senses which work a bit differently to yours, they process it through the filter of their own mind and finally they end up reconstructing a message that makes sense to them.

It’s a miracle we ever communicate at all!

However humans are miraculous creatures and we do manage to communicate quite effectively.

Mental Self Help - Enhancing your communications

The tools you have for communication are unsophisticated, to give yourself the best chance of communicating well, you need to make sure they are all saying the same thing. Your body language and your tone of voice, which tend to respond to subconscious information, and your words, which respond to rational thoughts most strongly should all transmit the same message.

In long term relationships, you need to make sure that your messages are clear and consistent over time.

The good news is that consistency in both communicating one on one and in your long term relationships happens when you are in touch with your core self and understand where you are going. In other words “when you are true to yourself”.

Mental self help note - take the time to evaluate your life and understand where you can be more consistent.

You can also improve your communications by taking the time to learn more about the mechanics of the human mind which we all use to communicate. Some basic information on nlp and the science of the mind can pay dividends!

Author: Kevin John

RETREAT 2 : in MORIB

before depart

El-Azzhar camp, morib,banting,selangor

Yeayy... we've gone through Retreat II last 9th -10th May 2009! It was really a happening camp held in EL-Azzhar Camp, Morib, Selangor! Why?? Because they are 'new' peers13 family members were joining the camp!So now, all together, there were about 25 of us! We really had fun and get to know each other better, and the camp was even challenging and super fun compared to the 1st one;))

What are the activities?


'Barang amanah' for this retreat is............ PINEAPPLE! haha

Decoration of 'barang amanah'

'Mengisa' :

We went to the sea and learned how to catch the fish etc using the net (we called 'Kisa' in Malay language' . It was really challenging and tiring :p but we really enjoy it and learn to appreciate how hard the fishermen out there doing that job everyday under the sunshine as their living-source :) but on that day, it's not that hot, so we're quite lucky.

High-rope activities:

This is one of the most challenging part in this camp as this game really need mental and spiritual combination to fight with the fear while we do it. There's a set of high ropes game there, with a few section with different high and challenge, which ends with 'flying-fox' set. During this activity, we can see and measure our level of fear and brave, strong or weak, and we can find our part of characteristic through it. Most of us done it successfully, with smile :)

En. Isa teach how to wear the safety helmet properly

Nervousness appeared before continue the hard part :p

fuhh.


last part: flying fox tower

Compass Marching
We learned how to use compass with the guide from Mr. Isa, the camp trainer. In the end, we were having a game to find places with the compass, and it was like a group race. In 1st session, each group have to set the coordinate for certain places (around the camp site) and after that each group have to find back the places which set by the another group and complete the forms of the places according to the coordinate. It's FUN and really need co-operation from all group members;)



Other activities:







Cheerful cheer session of each group, Creative Cultural Night ever! , and short yet sweet games !

Thanks for all co-operation and supports from all IIUMPeers13th members and see you all again in the next challenging Retreat season III. :)

MORE Photos? Check on: Atiqah's Facebook

SHARING MOMENT SEM 2

Currently, IIUMPeers have successfully organized the 'Sharing Moment Programme' which is conducted for the selected students from every kulliyyah in IIUM in every semester. This programme held with the collaboration of Counselling Service Department and also the respected kulliyah involved. In this semester 2-2008/2009,there are four departments participated in this programme that is Kulliyyah Economics and Management (organized by PeersGrowthGroup) , Kulliyah of Human Sciences, Kulliyah of Law and Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge.

This programme has successfully reach the objective as the students can boost up their self-motivation by the experiences, tips for success and precious advices given by the panels who are specially invited for this programme. The panels are consist of the former best students in IIUM who are now a successful person in their own field.

We are highly appreciate all the co-operation given by the IIUMstudents involved. We hope that this programme will benefit all the students in order to build and spread the spirit of knowledge in virtue in IIUM.

See you in the future SM programme.

'together we share, together we solve :) "

RETREAT 1

On last 14th Februaruy to 15th February 2009, IIUMPeers-13TH batch underwent the
1st Retreat at Nur Lembah Pangsun.

Games 01

Games 02: Creative 2020 FashionDesign by IIUMPeers

Chicken Dance time!!:p

Preparation for Rafting Activities

Water-confident session

CSD Support Group

There are five support groups under Counseling Services Department. They are known as:

1) IIUM Peers
*100 hours of training curriculum to be the peer helper.
*Trainer: Sr. Nordinah Mohd Kassim

2) IIUM Peer Counselor
*Para-Professional Peer Counselor who completed 100 hours of training curriculum
*Trainer: Mdm. Kalsom Wan Adam

3) Personal Growth Group (PGG)
*Provide opportunity to develop self-confidence and discover your potentials.
*Trainer: Br. Saiful Redza Mohamed

4) Creative Group (CREATIVE)
*Provide various channels to enhance creativity and express ideas in written form.
*Trainer: Br. Saaiful Azhar Jamil

5) Guidance Group
*Integrated skills on human interaction.
*Trainer: Br. Wan Mohd Ashmirullah Wan Abdullah

Welcome :The 13th batch of IIUMPeers

Welcome to the 13th Batch of IIUM Peers blog. In this blog, we will inform on any new event and a report on what we have done previously. We also provide the latest upcoming info and activities from Counseling Services Department or IIUMPeers.
Who Are IIUM Peers?

IIUM Peers is one of four support group under IIUM Counseling services Department. IIUM Peers have to undergo 100 credit hour of training including three major training outside the campus, classroom trainings, field on job, and assignments. Upon the completion of the trainings, they will be recognized as Peer Counselor.

Why IIUM Peers?

• IIUM Peers was set up based on the fact that youth often seek out their peers when they are experiencing difficulties rather than their parents due to age gap.
• Students generally prefer their peers because they experience more or less the same situation.

Functions Of IIUM Peers

• To help other students sort out concerns, brainstorm ideas, provide guidance and help to identify whether the students need to be referred to counselor.
• To conduct and organize programmes that contribute to the development of IIUM students.
• To provide the peer counseling services at Mahallah level.
• To assist the Counseling Services Department in identifying proactive measures that can be taken in providing effective and efficient services.

Contact Us:

peers13@gmail.com