Have a Better Relationship: Avoid These Traps
Do you want a better relationship with your partner?
How can you help strengthen the bond and love between you?
During my many years of working with couples and writing about them each week for major media outlets, I have compiled a list of things we should and should not be doing to have strong personal relationships.
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Things to Avoid For Better Relationships
There are some common themes and behaviors that many couples seem to do that fray the relationship and sometimes cause irreparable harm.
I hope that by reviewing this list, you can think about them and avoid them.
Your relationship will strengthen, and you will feel more connected as a couple.
Do not take your partner for granted.
I have couples do an exercise that they universally end up loving.
I have them spend a week where they tell their partner something they appreciate about the other person every day.
They can do it face to face, leave a note, or send an e-mail or text.
Most ask me to keep that particular assignment going, as it makes them feel so good.
They often did not know what their partner appreciated about them, which made them feel more connected.
Do not try and mind-read your partner.
This is incredibly common in relationships.
People make history, or what they think they “know” about how their partner will say or react to a situation, and they become upset with them before even asking the question.
When I had them ask each other what they would have said or thought, the partner was normally off base.
This shows how important simple, open communication is.
Do not insist that you settle a disagreement here and now.
This is one of the greatest fallacies of our time.
People insist that you cannot walk away from each other until something is resolved or that you should never go to bed angry.
The truth is that sometimes you are so mad that nothing productive will be resolved at that moment.
Agree to come back and revisit it when you have both calmed down and keep this promise.
Take a breather and clear your head, or even sleep on it.
Almost every time, things are not as dire as they seemed in the heat of the moment.
Do not forget what it means to have good communication.
This means strong, active talking and listening skills.
Don’t forget that your partner cannot know what you are thinking and feelings unless you share it with them.
Be open to telling your partner what is on your mind, ask them to hear you out without interruption, and then listen to what they have to say with the same respect.
Learn to approach issues in a way that makes your partner more willing to hear you.
If you come at them in a hostile manner, they will either match your hostility level or shut down.
Make sure you are calm and clear, willing to hear them out and put yourself in their shoes.
When you approach your partner this way, they are much more willing to hear you and open to working out an issue.
You must be willing to tackle the tough topics, especially early on, so they are cleared up and will not cause issues in the future.
Heavy issues like faith, finances, and family involvement will erode any relationship if you disagree and understand how these issues will be dealt with in the relationship.
Do not live in the past.
Some things are easier to get over than others.
If something happened that you have agreed to move on from or to stay in the relationship despite this issue, you must leave it in the past.
Don’t stay in the relationship if you can not live with it.
However, if you genuinely want to work things out and be with this person, you must move forward and leave the issue in the past.
You cannot say you forgive and want to be with the person but pull out their mistake whenever you are upset or it is convenient.
Do not fight dirty if you want a better relationship!
Attack the issue and not each other.
If there is a problem, stay focused, and do not resort to personal attacks and character assassination.
Instead, stay focused on the issue at hand.
This will more often get to a resolution, and no one walks away with hurt feelings or having said or heard something that does permanent damage.
Better relationships happen when we do not refuse to compromise.
We all have our own sets of beliefs, values, and morals.
There is nothing wrong with having strength in our personal choices, but we cannot expect our partner to follow our path exactly.
They have their own set of beliefs, values, and morals.
Sometimes the two are different, and the couple must find a common or mid-ground where they can live.
Do not have unrealistic expectations for your partner.
We all have a “perfect” image of a partnership, and it is usually pretty far from reality.
Adjust your expectations to be realistic and fair.
If you do not take this hard look at yourself and make this change, you are setting your relationship up for disappointment and your partner for letting you down when they have done nothing wrong.
Learn how to avoid ugly and hurtful arguments before they happen.
You can have a better relationship starting today
If you keep in mind these simple themes to avoid and you use these tools to strengthen your relationship, you are truly putting yourself on the right foot.
While a few of these may feel like a lot of work on the front end, they will save you countless hours and issues on the back end and throughout your relationship.
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