Do you want to enjoy a healthy and lasting relationship? If your answer is yes, then mastering the ways to communicate effectively in a relationship will do the wonder for you. So if you really desire to know how to communicate effectively in your relationship, relax, I have the solution.
In this article, I’m going to share with you some time-tested effective communication skills which will help you to make your relationship, marriage, healthy and lasting. Let’s get started.
Read Also: The Importance of Effective Communication in Marriage and Relationship
Ways to Communicate Effectively in Your Relationship
1. Listen Actively to Your Spouse
One of the crucial skills to master and apply in relationships is the ability to pay attention to the other person. Active listening is a hack for a healthy relationship. Paying attention to your partner during conversation and discussion creates a healthy relationship.
No matter how trivial what your partner is talking about may be, listen attentively to them and allow them express themselves. Don’t talk and text during conversation. Use your body language, eye contact and expression and words that matters like, “is that so,” “okay” to indicate that you are interested and engaged.
Giving your partner attention during conversation engenders respect, gives him or her the avenue to express their thoughts, views and feelings. Attention allows you to understand their feelings and views.
Eliminates every distraction during conversation and discussion. Turn off the radio or television. Remove your phone so as not to be tempted to press your phone during conversations.
2. Don’t Cut Your Partner in
The ability to hold yourself and avoid interrupting your partner is another essential effective communication skills needed for a healthy relationship. We are often tempted to interrupt another during a discussion, especially when fact is wrongly put. But discipline yourself to hold yourself back and allow him or her to finish talking.
Interruption is a form of disrespect and it doesn’t encouragement a healthy relationship and marriage. Wait for your spouse to finish before you can now talk your own. It’s not easy to avoid interruption, but you can intentionally learn it.
3. Create Time and Space to Communicate Face-to-face
Not every communication should be done on phone calls and texting. Face-to-face discussion or conversation remains to most effective way to communicate.
Create time and space for you and your partner to engage in a face-to-face conversation. Talking face-to-face would allow you to understand and feel each other through eye contact, body language and tone of voice. Face-to-face talk is most effective during conflict resolution.
4. Honestly is Important
Being honest is crucial to effective communication in a relationship. Though it may be hard to be honest due to insecurity or factors, the importance of honesty can’t be overemphasized in a relationship.
Being honest in a relationship helps to create trust, allowing partners to express their thoughts, feelings and views without fear. It helps to eliminate conflict in a relationship and gives room for reconciliation and creates atmosphere for peaceful coexistence amongst couple.
Instead of arguing and defending yourself, apologize and show that you are sincerely remorseful for your mistake. Admit your mistake when you know you are wrong. Doing this doesn’t affect your ego; rather, it creates a sense of trust and respect in your partner.
5. Be Patient to See From Your Partner’s Perspective
During discussion, especially in the face of misunderstanding, we always want to hear and be understood by the other party. But the problem has always been that everyone wants to be heard and understood and it is in the nature of human beings to accept that they wrong. Hence every one likes his or her opinion.
Therefore, learn to discipline yourself to see things from your partner’s perspective. This will enable you to understand his or her feelings, thought and views and thereby encouraging a healthy relationship or marriage. Trying to see their point of view will eliminate resentment and disagreement.
6. Learn to Praise and Appreciate Your Spouse
Honest praises and appreciation are very vital in a relationship.
Learn to praise and compliment your partner when necessary. As a man, don’t forget to praise and compliment your wife after dressing up for an occasion or when she makes her hair. Compliment spices up relationships.
Appreciate your partner when necessary. If your partner got you some gifts, for instance, appreciate him or her heartily. This will not only encourage him or her to do more, it will also create a healthy atmosphere.
Knowing how and when to praise and appreciate your partner is a crucial effective communication skill worthy of learning.
7. Don’t Criticize
Criticism in a relationship is unhealthy and destructive, no matter how subtle. It’s a poor communication skill. Telling your spouse that he or she is wrong will not make them accept their, rather it will cause resentment and put them on the defensive. Criticism creates conflict and anger in a relationship.
Everyone wants approval and resent condemnation. No one wants to accept that he’s wrong. Criticism is futile and doesn’t affect any change. Instead of criticizing your spouse, look out for what he did well and praise him or her, and watch them change gradually. Learn to avoid criticism in a relationship.
8. Use “I” Instead of “You” in Your Statements in the Face of Problems
It’s important to use “l” instead of you during disagreement in order not to escalate the problem. Using “l” statement during conversation or discussion helps to eliminate accusation and resentment. For example, instead of saying, “your action caused me pain,” you can say, “I felt pained by that incident.” You see, you have shifted the blame to yourself, making him or her retain his or her pride. It’s this way because human beings hates condemnation and acknowledgement of being wrong.
9. Ensure communication is enjoyable
Communication is a means by which we express our emotions, thoughts, views and connect to one another. Don’t forget that communication should be enjoyable, as well.
Crack jokes with your partner, tell funny stories and engage in deep conversation that allow you to connect deeply with each other. This will help to create deep affection and love, thereby building a healthy relationship.
10. Physical Contact is Crucial
Physical contact is also a form of communication and it’s essential in building a healthy relationship and marriage. Tender touch or stroking of the arms helps the body to secret oxytocin which helps in bonding.
I have also heard some women saying that gentle spank of their buttocks makes them happy. I agree because such spank causes their body to release love hormones which makes them happy and reduces.
