How is your communication working for you?
Do your conversations seem to go round and round?
Perhaps your communication skills are out of whack.
Relationships aren’t always sunshine and rainbows, sometimes they require a bit of work, understanding and most importantly of all, communication.
Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of relationship problems and unfortunately, many people lack the skills or knowledge to communicate in an effective way.
Communication isn’t only about vocalizing your issues, but also having the ability to listen to your partner, and trying to understand where they are coming from – with an unbiased attitude.
Here are a few of the most common communication issues; and how you can work through them, so you can get off the not-so-merry-go-round.
Misunderstanding and Assumptions
It can be really easy to misunderstand or misinterpret the things your partner says or does, especially when it comes to non-verbal communication such as text messages and emails.
Don’t just assume you know what they are thinking, or what they meant by a particular comment or gesture. Often what you think they mean is completely different from what they actually mean. Ask them to explain their actions or words until you completely understand, without jumping to your own conclusions in your head.
You Don’t Talk Anymore
The longer you are in a relationship, the easier it is to fall into the rut of daily life and to lose the basic communication that keeps us connected to our partner. Often you don’t spend as much time together as you used to, and you go about your day-to-day business on your own.
Life is busy but creating some quality time with your partner and talking about even the smallest things can help to bridge that connection. Make an effort to find time for each other every day, even if it’s just a quick chat about how their day was.
You Avoid Certain Topics to Prevent Discomfort or Conflict
Sometimes situations arise that aren’t the most comfortable to talk about, and it’s much easier to just ignore them and keep your feelings bottled up. You don’t really want to talk about it so you just put your walls up and pretend it’s not happening.
Unfortunately, when you bottle things up, they don’t just disappear. They bubble away on the inside and eat away at you until they have become so much worse than they actually were. Being able to talk about your problems is a crucial part of any relationship. How else are things going to be resolved if you can’t talk about them?
You have to be Right
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get your point across when you “know” you are right. You argue until you’re blue in the face, yet the issue still isn’t resolved.
The problem with this situation is your partner probably “knows” they are right too! The fact is, it’s not really important who’s right. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and being able to take a step back and understand things from the other person’s point of view is not only a great way to keep the lines of communication open, but it also helps you to gain some interesting insight into how other people think.
How effective is the communication in your relationship? Have you got any of your own communication tips to share? Would you rather be right or HAPPY?
