Communication is an essential part of any good relationship. Without it, one partner might find themselves frustrated and unhappy in the relationship.
If your relationship is suffering from a lack of communication, fret not. There are ways to improve it. Communication must be constant in order for any relationship to grow and thrive.
What lack of communication does to a relationship
Communication is the most important part of any healthy relationship, especially in long-term relationships where couples start taking each other’s needs for granted. It’s important to continue to communicate throughout the entirety of your relationship so that you don’t get in a routine where one partner feels like they are always taking and never giving, leading them to feel unhappy or resentful toward their partner or vice versa. Making sure that both partners are “getting” what they need out of the relationship on an emotional level is important and can only be done through effective communication.
7 tips to improve your communication
Take a moment to improve your communication skills, listen to each other’s point of view, and reconnect with these 7 relationship-building communication tools.
How to improve communication in a healthy manner:
1. Find a common time to talk
Change is possible if you practicing communicating with your partner. It is easy to find excuses as to why it isn’t convenient for you to talk at the moment, but setting aside a specific time for communication can help improve communication all around and grow stronger bonds.
2. Use “I” statements instead of “You” statements
When you make comments or focus on what your partner did “wrong” in a particular situation, they might get defensive and things can start to sour. It is easier to agree when both parties’ feelings are heard out by repeating a sentence beginning with “I.” This lets your partner know that their feelings are being recognized, even if you do not agree with what they are saying.
3. Be open to your partners opinions and feelings
It can sometimes be difficult to hear when you don’t agree with your partner’s opinion or take their feelings to heart. By being open to their opinions and ideas, your partner feels more comfortable sharing with you, which in turn brings the two of you closer together.
4. Be direct and honest about your feelings
It may be difficult to share what you are feeling with your partner, but it is important that you do. By being direct and honest about your feelings toward them and the situation at hand, your partner will also feel more comfortable opening up to you when they have something on their mind.
5. Ask questions when you don’t understand
By asking questions and actively listening when your partner is talking, you can minimize misunderstandings, improve your communication, and grow closer.
6. Don’t read into things
You know what they say about assuming. It can be easy to get upset, for example, if a partner doesn’t text back as quickly as they should or don’t want to communicate with you when you want to. Instead of jumping to conclusions, remind yourself that there could be many reasons behind their actions before jumping to an assumption.
7. Don’t assume a partner knows what you are thinking
Just like you shouldn’t read into things, don’t assume that your partner knows what you are thinking all the time or try to presume their intentions. They could be feeling something different about a certain situation than you and they need to know.
What if your partner doesn’t want to work on your communication?
If your partner isn’t willing to work on improving communication, don’t give up hope. There are still other things that you can do in order to strengthen your connection.
Stay connected with your partner on a daily basis
A simple way to maintain connection is through sharing stories or discussing something positive that happened each day/night. This can spark laughter, forgive quarrels, and help you feel closer.
Take interest in your partner’s life
It can be easy to drift apart if you come home from a long day of work and don’t take an interest in what your partner has been up to during the day. You can build stronger bonds by asking questions about their day, interacting with them, and listening when they talk.
Don’t let your marriage be your social circle
A big cause for couples drifting apart is that they stop getting out and meeting other people. You are leaving your marriage vulnerable if it is the only social circle in which you both spend time regularly.
Work on improving communication outside of an argument
Communication often breaks down when problems get larger or disputing couples become more upset about something. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk about the issue when it comes up, but working on improving communication outside of arguing is essential to couple longevity and success.
Remind yourself why you love your partner
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day issues of life and forget why you fell in love with your partner in the first place. Take time each morning to reflect on the positive reasons why you are together and appreciate what you have.
Start Improving Your Communication Today
The examples listed above are only a start for improving communication in your relationship. Whatever you and your partner decide to do in order to connect, the most important thing is that you both are invested in each other. If one of
