When to stop listening

Two styles of boundaries for the week

Author

Orly Israel
June 02, 2025

People have an unlimited capacity for healing, but you don’t have an unlimited capacity for holding others, nor should anyone expect you to have it.

The best listeners give set up strategic exits without sacrificing the relationship.

  1. Time-bound — You tell the sharer know how long you have. Whether you’ve got eighteen minutes or a few hours.

  2. Focus driven — You tell the sharer that your brain is occupied or you’re not in the right state of mind for a big listen.

By contextualizing your availability, you give a sharer bounds to play in. If you’ve got a short time, cut the to chase or stick a pin in it and save it for later. If you’re preoccupied, they’ll have to wait to get your full attention.

Of course, you’ll also let them know that you’re looking forward to when the time is right.

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