Pause two seconds before you reply.

Usually for friendly reasons: excitement, fear of forgetting your point, wanting to help, or growing up where overlapping talk is normal. It still leaves people feeling unheard. The first two days are just about noticing when it happens — awareness alone often cuts it down — and a quick one-word note helps you hold a thought without jumping in.

After each practice you answer three quick questions — did I let them finish, did I show I heard, did I ask something about them — and describe the moment. The prompt gives you one thing done well and rewrites one moment better. On day 14, you ask someone you trust whether they've noticed a difference, which is the truest measure of all.

One small focus per stretch: noticing, then a two-second pause before replying, then a short paraphrase at the key moment, then open questions, then support responses instead of shifting to your own story, then naming feelings. Each takes a few minutes of attention in conversations you're already having.

It can be — timing is everything. "That happened to me too" moves the spotlight to you; "what happened next?" keeps it on them. Share your story after they've finished, and ask whether they want ideas or just to talk it through before offering advice.

If you often mishear people, a hearing check is worth it — hearing difficulty can look like not listening. If interrupting is part of a wider, lifelong pattern of impulsivity or trouble focusing, it can be useful to mention it to a doctor. The plan still helps either way.