Actions might speak louder than words, as the saying goes, but you need a little bit of both in a relationship.
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Strong communication with your partner can help with everything from fight resolutions to better intimacy, and it doesn’t have to include reinventing the wheel.
Try the three easy tips below for healthier communication, so you can move toward a more rewarding relationship with less drama, frustration and stress!
1. Wait For Your Cue
We’ve all had that moment where we were so frustrated, angry or emotional, we just had to say something, only to regret the timing later.
But picking the right time to discuss something serious is pretty much a requirement for a good conversation no matter who’s listening, and it’s doubly true for important and/or emotional subjects you need to talk about with your partner.
Let your partner know that you two need to discuss something if you have a subject in mind but the timing isn’t right. While “not right” can be different from person to person, common examples include if you’re both at a party, on a double date with friends or if your partner is watching an engrossing or favorite program on the TV.
Pick a place and time, even if it’s just the bedroom in one hour, to make sure the necessary conversation happens without distraction or the potential for public embarrassment.
It’s likely your conversation will go much more smoothly then, and the both of you can work toward a more solid relationship by solving your shared problems together and moving forward as a united team.
2. Keep Your Eyes Involved
It can be tempting to drop a discussion into email or texts to save time, but removing that human contact element can make sticky or complex subject matter more difficult to discuss. Emails and texts can be misunderstood or misinterpreted, causing problems that wouldn’t arise in a face-to-face conversation.
Discuss serious or complicated things face to face and make eye contact. Check your body language, too. Keep your cell phone out of your hands and focus on what is being talked about.
By giving your partner your full attention in person, hammering out difficult or serious topics in your relationship can be a rewarding experience that brings the both of you closer together.
3. Take A Two-Day Breath
All of us have little quirks that can become annoying to people we’re really close to. Our partners, in particular, can get on our nerves because of the amount of time spent together and shared living spaces. But, sometimes, we get angry over something that just isn’t worth fighting over.
By recognizing this type of situation before you say something to your partner out of annoyance, you get the best of both worlds: A smoother relationship and lower blood pressure!
Try waiting a day or two if your partner makes you angry but you’re not sure if your reaction is justified. Say something to your partner about whatever it was if you’re still annoyed after your “waiting period” has passed. But if you find yourself not bothered by the toilet seat being left up again or the milk being empty in the fridge after day or so has passed, you just saved you and your partner some unnecessary grief by taking a breather first.
You can still mention that toilet seat, but since you’re calm, you’ll now be able to bring it up in a joking or casual manner that can get the message across with raising anyone’s hair.
Good communication is the bedrock of any successful relationship, so don’t be afraid to say what you want as long as you take the time to think about your approach first.
Measure twice and cut once, as they say, to keep those relationship waters as smooth as possible!
