People who engage in meaningful conversations daily have happier lives, according to one study by the University of Washington. However, it’s not certain whether people who are happier tend to engage in meaningful conversations, or if meaningful conversations cause happiness, but the connection between the two is established. When trying to spark meaningful conversations, the questions you pose will largely determine how successful you are. Here are 21 questions to ask your partner, or even a stranger, to have better, meaningful conversations without your typical ‘how are you’ questions.
- How did _____ on the news make you feel? What are your thoughts on the issue?
- What was one thing that excited you about today?
- How can I make your day better?
- Was there anyone today who made your day worse?
- Who made your day better today?
- What was one nice thing you did today?
- What’s bothering you today? This week?
- How did _____ go?
- How are your work projects going?
- How is the office dynamic?
- What are you looking forward to this month? How can we plan something exciting?
- Did anything unusual happen today?
- Have you seen any cool _____ today (ie adverts, graffiti, fashion, cars, bikes, plants, interior design)?
- What is one thing we could have done better today?
- How is your health? Are you feeling alright physically and mentally?
- What’s one place in Ottawa that we should visit?
- What’s one local business we should try this weekend?
- If you talk to yourself at 6 years old, what would you say to them? What would they say to you?
- What haven’t you done that you wished you would do by this age? How can we make that happen?
- How do you unlock your creativity?
- What do you want to accomplish by the end of this week?
