There are a couple of neat tips, like "echo-ing". This is when after someone says a sentence, you simply repeat back the last word(s) they said.

"I went to the beach last weekend, read a great book!" "You read a greak book?" "Yeah! It was by this author etc etc..."

It feels weird when you do it, but you never notice it when someone does it to you and it always feels nice because you know they were listening to you.

Also, the #1 thing is that you should be asking questions. Being a good listener is about asking questions 90% of the time, and those questions should be related to what the person is talking about.

For the previous example, if the conversation peters out, you can just ask something easy like "What is it about reading at the beach that you love so much?"

For me it's a mix of curiosity, and trying to understand (or directly asking) what the person I'm talking to is getting at. For example, someone talks to you about something that happens at their job. Try to understand what they do in their job, their company, the people around them. Also try to understand their feeling. Are they looking angry? What made them angry? Why?

Try a couple of books on active listening and see if you find one that you like. Then try applying what you’ve learned in real life.

For me it’s putting my phone upside down, so I’m not distracted by the notifications, focusing on what the person is saying, repeating it back when appropriate, and by actively trying to understand their perspective / emotion(s).