How Do You Talk to Your Partner About Your Relationship?
Your partner should be the person you turn to when you want to discuss just about anything. Maybe you do feel like you share everything with them already, but have you ever thought about how often you actually talk about your relationship?
Discussing your relationship with your romantic partner isn’t just important—it’s necessary. Talking about your needs, wants, unresolved issues or things that make you happy will help strengthen your bond and improve intimacy.
But, even if you tend to open up to your partner about other things, it’s not always easy to bring up the ins and outs of your relationship in a conversation. So, how can you do it? Let’s cover a few helpful tips.
Find the Right Time
If you want to talk to your partner about any aspect of your relationship, make sure you’re giving yourself enough time to do so. Don’t try to bring something up when you’re both rushing out the door to work in the morning.
You should also try to avoid discussing your relationship when you are distracted. You might be home together on a Wednesday night, but if you’re watching TV or scrolling through social media, the conversation won’t get the attention it deserves.
Schedule active communication time with your partner as often as possible. Having that time will help you feel more prepared about the subject at hand and allow you to organize your thoughts and share your true feelings.
Talk About What You Need
Even when you feel comfortable around your partner, being vulnerable is not always easy. That could have something to do with issues that happened to you in the past in a different relationship, or it could just be your personality.
But opening up and expressing your needs and wants is incredibly important. Don’t assume that either you or your partner can read minds. It’s essential to share your thoughts and feelings with each other so you can foster your connection and build intimacy.
If you’re struggling to open up, take the time to ask yourself who you really are and how you feel about certain things. Get in touch with your emotions and develop a deep understanding of what you want. When you’re more confident in those feelings, it will be much easier to share them with your partner.
Be an Active Listener
If you want to keep up the momentum when it comes to talking about your relationship, make sure you’re practicing the other important aspect of communication, too—listening.
Communication is always a two-way street. Listening to your partner’s needs, wants, struggles, and opinions will only strengthen your bond and make you both more willing to open up in the future. Show them that you are a safe person to open up to, no matter what, and you’ll create an environment of trust.
Use “I” Statements
Whether you want to talk about the good things in your relationship or concerns you might have, the best way to approach these conversations is by using “I” statements. Telling your partner how you feel, rather than suggesting they’re doing anything wrong or bringing problems to the relationship, will help to convey your feelings without making them feel attacked.
Your partner might instantly feel defensive when you use “you” statements. When that happens, the conversation is more likely to become a disagreement, which is harder to resolve than calm discussions.
Don’t be afraid to open up about your feelings, but make sure you’re carefully on the right side of the line when it comes to sharing how you feel without “attacking” your partner.
When you both commit to talking more about your relationship, you might be surprised by what you learn. Try some of these tactics to open up, encourage more conversations, and learn more about yourself and the person you love.
