There’s some absolutely superb advice on this thread. Personally, I hate being interrupted, but I know I sometimes do it as well, so I see both sides.

So here are some thoughts for you.

What do you think about when someone else is talking? Are you listening to what they’re saying, or waiting for them to finish so you can talk? Are you really focusing on them, or just waiting your turn?

Why do you think you need to talk so urgently? Are you worried you won’t be heard, or that you’ll forget what you wanted to say? My H interrupts when a thought pops into his head and he thinks he'll forget it - I say tough, if it's that important he'll remember it again.

I just had an idea that might sound completely off-the-wall, but here goes: what about practising with a radio? Your challenge is to listen to the radio for a set time – start small, say 10 seconds, and work up – and then write down everything you can remember about what was said. What are they talking about? What kind of programme is it?

I think this might be a good way to practise mindful listening – after all, the radio’s not going to stop broadcasting because you tried to talk – and then you can get into good habits to use with people instead.

Also, start paying attention to yourself when you talk. Do you stop to think first? How loudly do you speak? What is your breathing like?

Incidentally, this thread is an example of the utter awesomeness of PC - so much good advice upthread