For instance, if your child or student is acting disrespectful, walk yourself through their daily schedule. They might be stressed because of their course load, or have trouble getting to bed at a consistent time each night. If your friend seems a bit closed-off, think about her daily routine. She might have had a tough day at work, or might be having a difficult time at home.
For instance, when tackling a project at work or school, you might say, “Let’s figure out how we’re going to finish this” instead of “Here’s what I’m going to do. ”
For example, instead of jumping into a story about how your day is going, ask the other person how their day is going instead. You can ask meaningful, empathetic questions to just about anyone, even if you aren’t that close with them. Questions or statements like “Long day, huh” or “Looks like you’re having a tough day” are a great way to get a conversation going.
For instance, if your parent or guardian seems a little sad, you might offer to help around the home, or lend them a listening ear. Do this exercise whenever you’d like. It’s a great way to practice thinking with an empathetic mindset!
A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley, Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Tobson, and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkah all explore experiences from different walks of life, and are great titles to check out. Nonfiction books like The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee and Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh are other good options.
The New York Times runs an “Op-Docs” channel, which has lots of documentaries that discuss race. Documentaries like “Hale,” “Almost Sunrise,” and “Poor Kids” detail a lot of different life stories and experiences. Podcasts like “Code Switch,” “All My Relations,” and “1619 Podcast” also explore different experiences and walks of life. [8] X Research source
You might talk to a co-worker you don’t cross paths with very often, or say hi to a neighbor who lives down the street.
If you practice Judaism, you might follow Muslim or Hindu individuals on social media. If you’re Caucasian, you might follow more people of color.
You don’t need to tackle a huge project to be active in your community. For instance, if you just went through a loss, you might join a support group, where you can meet and connect with other like-minded people in your community.
