Strong and open communication are essential for any relationship, and especially one with a romantic partner. Below, you can find out some tried-and-true ways to keep communication flowing smoothly between yourself and your partner.
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1. Show You’re Willing To Listen
When discussions get heated, both of you may feel it’s hard to get a point across. Practice being a good listener, and ask questions such as “Can you help me understand why you feel that way?” or “Could you discuss what you mean by that?” Then it’ll be clear you truly are interested in hearing your partner’s side.
2. Choose Your Timing Wisely
Communication can feel almost useless if your partner is not in the mood to talk or you’re not in a good mindset. Try your best to pick up on cues. If it seems now isn’t the best time to have a conversation, simply say you want to talk about an issue sometime soon, and save it for a better time.
3. Wait Until Tempers Have Cooled
It’s especially necessary to communicate during disagreements, but try not to do so if either of you are angry. Resolving fights as quickly as possible is ideal, but not when you or your partner may be likely to lash out and regret it later.
4. Focus On More Than Words
Even though verbal communication may be the most obvious type, non-verbal signals matter too. Pay attention to things like how far away your partner is standing from you, and what his or her posture is like. Those body language cues can help you pick up on how the person really feels, even if words say something different. Also, try to control your own body language so you’re not unintentionally shutting down communication.
5. Decide Whether To Get Involved
Conflict can be extremely stressful for both you and your partner. In some cases, it’s necessary to ask yourself whether bringing an issue up for discussion is really worth the emotional investment and personal effort. If the matter at hand is rather trivial in the grand scheme of things, it may actually be more beneficial to let something go rather than trying to talk it through with a partner.
6. Don’t Avoid Face-to-Face Dialogue
When trying to talk about issues that are delicate, highly emotional or may be embarrassing for either of you, it’s tempting to just let all your feelings out in the form of a text message or e-mail. That type of communication usually doesn’t require as much courage as speaking to a person’s face, but it also increases the chance of misunderstanding. Always try to communicate in person unless that option genuinely isn’t possible.
7. Agree To Disagree
Good communication doesn’t always mean you see completely eye-to-eye with the other person. Sometimes the best course of action is to come to the conclusion that both of you have valid points, but it’s not possible to completely agree on the points that were made. That doesn’t mean the attempt to communicate has failed, just that both have you have accepted the alternative perspectives and chosen to put them behind you.
8. Be Respectful
This is sometimes difficult to manage, but it’s so important be respectful of opinions that differ from your own. Doing so can help avoid disagreements, and it might even help you learn something new.
9. Forgive The Other Person
Forgiveness is crucial. Without it, both of you might harbor resentment, even without realizing it. Remember too, that offering forgiveness doesn’t mean you completely forget about what’s happened. It just means you’ve accepted reality and are eager to move past whatever the problem is.
10. Be Proactive
There’s almost nothing good that can come from holding grudges. It’s not always preferable to talk about issues that are very sensitive, but doing what’s in your power to deal with them as early as possible is ideal. Otherwise, you might end up being influenced by those unsolved problems and allowing them to adversely affect future conversations you have with your partner.
11. Accept Feedback
Appropriate communication also often means you have to hear things from your partner that are unpleasant. As long as those aspects are brought up respectfully, however, you don’t need to take them to heart. Getting feedback and making changes as necessary tends to strengthen relationships in the long run.
Hopefully these tips will help you communicate confidently in your relationships, even if the topics being discussed are a little challenging.
