How to Really Listen to My Wife in 13 Steps

If you want your woman to be less upset, less emotional, and more open to you, then read on…

Each year I think I have it–I think I know how to listen to my wife.  But, as a man, trained in the art of “listening,” my knee-jerk reaction is to follow my agenda and where I want the conversation to go, where I want her to go, what I want her to see and do, and how awesome I am for helping her. I love to problem solve and help her have a breakthrough. None of which helps. Doah!

Disclaimer 1: I’m only talking about myself and my experience. I hope that she can write a response to my post at some point as it may be helpful to hear her take. Honey?

Disclaimer 2: I’m a typical guy. My default listening setting is this: I’m listening from my mind. I like to Fix, problem-solve, offer solutions and offer bright ideas to make it all better. This runs deep in me and most men. It’s interesting to note that I get paid to listen in my profession. 

Disclaimer 3: I’m still learning.

Disclaimer 4: This is intended to help those of you who are in long-term partnerships. Conventional marriage is where people think they know each other over time, but really those people just get lazy and put each other in boxes.  The more I do this dance with my wife, the less I know her. Thus, the more crucial it is to listen even deeper.

So after ten years, I think I’m finally learning how to listen to my wife. I mean listen. Really listen. I’m humbled at the possibility of turning a corner here.

I posted the above sentence on facebook recently and got a huge response. Many wondered how I did it and what I’m learning, hence this post.

For me, listening is an art and it’s the key to great communication.

And, listening, or my ability to listen has gone through different phases in our relationship. I consider myself an exceptional listener and I get paid well to do it. However, listening to the same person for years and years is a different story.

For example, when we first met and during our first few years, I was deeply into understanding her, so my desire was there. Who was this person? So much to explore!

As we deepened and triggered each other constantly, we slowly found our way to work through stuff and hear each other. We were both psychotherapists, so we had tons of listening skills yet often over-analyzed each fight. We also had the “normal” challenges that impacted my ability to listen. For example, when I’m triggered into my own stuff, it’s really hard to listen and understand her, let alone be interested.

Prior to marriage, I had one foot in and one foot out. This resulted in a few breaks ups, which shook our foundation each time. Thus, there was a part of me that wasn’t fully invested in knowing her. Of course, that showed up energetically. If I have fears that keep me from being two feet in, obviously my desire and capacity to listen will be compromised.

After we had kids I saw her in a whole new way. Wow. New aspects of her emerged and I was blown away. Yet my listening came and went. Slowly I started to lose focus due to loss of sleep. So did she. The gauntlet of having babies rocked our world (in a good way).

We both began to change in a number of ways. We dialed in our team effort it takes to raise two kids. It is very much just like running a business. And we rocked it and are still doing an exceptional job raising our kids both individually and together. However, as sleep issues wore on, I became less available to her. My desire to “listen” was compromised again and I became more complacent.

But now we are entering a new phase of our relationship. Now, as our kids get older we have more space to turn toward each other and find each other again. I’m inspired to take our connection to the next level on my side. I want to go deeper. So, I’ll need to face whatever is in the way.

And, the other night I had a breakthrough of sorts, which prompted this post. I simply dropped my agenda and really joined with her. My heart was there. I rode the waves as she shared more and more with me. With each step, I could tell she opened more. I found myself becoming even more present, more aware, and more available. She seemed to soften and open, soften and open. Some kind of synergy was happening with us. I kept noticing the classic fixer/problem solver come up, and I kept letting it go.

We both agreed later on how good it felt for both of us. A lightbulb went on and I got her in a new way. I got my pathway into her world in a new way. Since that day, I’ve fallen into my go-to default old way many times. But I’ve also found a little traction in the new way. It’s practice. I’m learning.

So, if you are a dude (or a woman) who wants to learn how to listen in a deeper way over the long haul, here’s a few pointers based on what I’m learning.

You’ll need to put a few things in place.

1. Reframe listening- First, let’s reframe this whole listening business, mostly because many people think they listen well and most are missing the point. Instead of “listening,” I like to use the term “getting her world” that I learned years ago from Guy Sengstock. Getting her world means I’m invested in knowing all of her and deeply understanding who she is and what makes her tick. When she feels “gotten” by me, she feels seen, understood and known by me. New things can happen from this place. So, learn to “get her world.” And, getting her world is a very active process.
2. Self-connection. This seems to be the foundation. The more I’m connected to me, my body, and my heart, the more available I am to her and to really hearing her. When I’m disconnected, I’m less and less available to her, my kids, my friends and then life tends to feel drab and dull. If I’m not connected to me, I can’t connect to her.
3. Heart Desire—You have to mean it. You have to genuinely want to understand her. That desire comes from your big heart and she will feel it. Most folks listen with the mind only. Adding the heart takes listening to the next level.
4. Cultivate your other senses- When I’m really deeply listening to her, I’m using other senses. My body, my intuition, my gut, my toes, my hands. More is going on than I can imagine. Feel yourself and your partner as you listen.
5. Use your hypervigilance to your advantage. A lot of people are way more sensitive and tuned into their partner than they think. Why? Because your brain has a negativity bias and it’s looking for threats all the time, even in a marriage of 20 years. This is annoying when you can’t learn to capitalize on your sensitivity and you are just neurotically tracking your partner like a hurt child is with an angry parent. If you are going to be tracking your spouse that much, then learn to track them in a non-hurt little kid-hypervigilant kind of way. Instead, use your sensitivity to your advantage and really hear your partner.
6. Get skills—I have plenty, but when used without the other suggestions, they are exceedingly limited. Get some skills. Learn how to get her world, validate and share impact (all of which I cover in an upcoming class). You don’t know how to listen well until your partner agrees that you are an exceptional listener.
7. Stop trying to fix, rescue or solve the problem. She doesn’t want to be fixed. If you are a man, this will be hard. Let go of where you think it’s going and what you want for her. Problem-solving or fixing isn’t what she wants, unless she asks you directly for that. I call this “No F.R.A.C.K.ing and I will cover it in the free web class here. 
8. Be okay with her strong emotions. If you want to be with a woman for a long time, you must get used to her ever-changing emotions. What worked yesterday, may not work for her today. Plus if you struggle to be with strong emotion yourself, you will struggle to be with her strong emotions. So, you’ll need to get comfortable with yourself and your inner terrain. You’ll also need to move toward what’s uncomfortable. I learned this one early in my career as a psychotherapist. I will unconsciously block someone from where they want to go if I’m “scared” to go there in myself.  Likewise, women who feel their man shut down, check out, or get uncomfortable with their full range will retract, not share, shut down, and trust you less over time (If you do have an emotional woman, read this).
9. Clear out your baggage with “the feminine” or mom. Many men struggle to really listen to their woman because they are still angry at Mom, x-girlfriends, etc. It’s often buried under denial, but it’s probably in there.
10. See her neurotic issues as an opportunity to know yourself better. That’s right. Whatever triggers you about her, is something disowned in you, so do the deeper inner work required to get at that material so you can love her as she is. The more you clear out your baggage, the more you can see others for who they actually are.
12. Don’t take her for granted. When we live with someone day in and day out for many many years, I’m seeing that I can take my wife for granted. That’s painful to see, but it’s true. It happens. So, if you are in a long-term partnership, you are at greater risk of this one. Staying inspired and in your heart is the way to avoid this one.
13. Check in and get feedback. Does she feel heard, understood and known by me? If not, I’m not getting her no matter how hard I try. Just ask. Trust her answer and go back and try again.
14. Remember that she is an ocean. Her depths will never truly be explored in this lifetime, so I can relax, knowing that she is truly a mystery. Settle in and plan on never fully knowing her. Be an explorer of a never-ending Universe. How exciting!

When we humans feel heard, we soften, we relax. We come out of fight/flight/freeze. We feel safe. We open. We are now available for love, sex, and deeper layers of relating and connecting.

There’s so many layers to listening to her. The more I’m truly there with all of my being, the more her flower petals open. When she opens like a flower, my love grows and my heart expands.

What a beautiful and fascinating ride we are on.