One thing that helps me a lot is to balance what I need to say with what I think the other person is able to hear. To do this, I close my eyes for a few moments and put myself in to the other person's shoes. When I say what I need to say from the heart, imagining I am the other person for a moment, what does it sound like? Am I using words and concepts that this person can relate to and that they are familiar with to explain what I need to say? The other thing I try to do is keep it simple and direct and not mince words. My weakness in writing is to explain too much and dance around the subject. When I had to write a letter to a family member explaining my illness I found I was trying to use too many metaphors for how I felt. In the end I actually went to a mayo clinic website and chose 4 of the top symptoms that I was experiencing from having this illness. I was able to cut a whole page down to a paragraph. So the three main points that help me are: 1. Speak your truth 2. Pare your sentences down to the bare minimum. Say what you need to say in the clearest, most direct way possible. 3. Put yourself in the other person's shoes for a moment to try and hear what you are saying from their point of view.
Sending supportive thoughts you way...