Three Easy Steps to Saving your Relationship
With Christmas just around the corner it’s a time when relationships really start feeling the strain. Prolonged time together, money stress, having to deal with families and other factors all rear their ugly head. But whilst relationships are never easy, it’s not always a good idea to just get up and walk away from them.
Relationships don’t conform to the idea that one size fits all: what works for one won’t for another, because people and the relationships they form are unique.
So here are three easy steps to saving your relationship…
First, a relationship must have effective communication if it’s going to succeed. This means the opening up and sharing things like hopes and plans for the future. It doesn’t mean you can’t have your own thoughts but just get the important stuff out there. It’s easy to talk about the news or last night’s television program but real communication involves sharing and honesty. Even if you start off by just making time for each other before work in the morning, a chat over coffee so you can share you plans for the day, any concerns you may have etc.
Relationships where the partners don’t also share their feelings with each other have an unstable foundation. Good communication doesn’t consist only of the good things – it also includes the bad.
The second way is start being more honest. If you’re holding back a secret or you’re not being completely truthful with your partner then you’re not going to be able to carry on. We all have secrets and things that we just want to keep to ourselves but ask yourself, is this secret harming your relationship?
Honesty is also about commitment, if you’re holding back, are you really sure that you want to be with this person?
And thirdly, forgive. As we mentioned in the last post, no one is perfect. In fact, the great thing about strong relationships is that there is someone there who accepts those imperfections and is willing to love you anyway. Think about the joy that your partner brings to you instead of wallowing on the bad points.
Three simple steps that will ensure that your relationship is happy and healthy in the new year.
