How do I stop jumping to fix people instead of listening?

You want to help, so the moment someone hurts, your mind reaches for a solution. That instinct is good. But when you rush to fix, the person can feel unheard, as if their feeling was a problem to clear away rather than something you were willing to sit with. Most people are not asking to be fixed first. They are asking to be understood. The fixing can come later, and it lands better once they feel you actually heard them. Staying with a feeling is not doing nothing. It is the harder, quieter work of being present. Next time, before you offer anything, name what you hear: that sounds heavy. Then stop and let the silence hold. Give them room to keep going. You can always help solve later. First, let them be met where they are.