Take a seat.

Whenever you’re chatting with your patients or their loved ones, remember to sit down. It may seem like such a simple thing to do, and guess what? It is! And yet, sitting down is one of the most powerful tools in your communication toolbox.

Sitting down closes the physical gap between you and your patient and sets you at, if not even slightly below, eye-level. You’re in their room on their time, joining in on an often terrifying and overwhelming moment in their life. It’s hard to honor your role in their story if you’re looming over them, casting a shadow on the bed.

Sitting lets you assume a comfortable body language, and allows you to more easily mirror your patient’s body language. The ability to mirror non-verbal communication is key in the empathetic engagement of someone’s narrative. By assuming a comfortable and non-threatening body posture, you can more easily diffuse tension and engage volatile emotions.

In addition to the above, sitting helps differentiate you from the other medical providers who come in and don’t sit. Sometimes this distinction, coupled with other communication skills and techniques (more to come!), can make all the difference in building trust and rapport in the short period of time between 4AM blood draws and that delicious hospital lunch.