5 Ways to Tell If You’re Communicating Effectively with Your Partner
No matter if you’re still looking for your person, if you just started dating someone new, or if you’ve been together with the same partner for years, you want to make sure that your communication is healthy.
Communication is one of the biggest pillars of a relationship, whether the relationship is romantic or not. Communication can make or break a relationship. It makes perfect sense to want to know if you’re communicating well with one another.
Here are 5 ways to tell if you’re communicating effectively with your partner.
1. You’re Making Time for One Another
It can be easy to get caught up in your day to day of work, to-do lists, and tasks. You and your partner each live your own lives. You both have your own careers, family, friends, and hobbies. Just because you’re in a relationship doesn’t mean you’re expected to do every activity together.
It can be easy to get stuck in a vicious cycle of only seeing one another before or after work. When you’re communicating well, you may notice that you’re making more time for one another. This could mean texting or calling during the day to check in. Or it may even mean planning a date night or activity to make sure you’re spending quality time together.
2. You’re Listening to One Another
When you think of communication, you may immediately think of talking, but communicating involves listening as well. When you’re communicating well with your partner, it means you’re each taking turns talking and listening to one another. This means that you’re able to hear and understand what the other person is saying, even if you may not always agree with them on every topic.
3. You’re Mindful of Your Language and Tone
When communicating, especially in disagreements or arguments, it can be easy to raise your voice or say things that you don’t actually mean. When you’re communicating in a healthy way, even in healthy conflict, you’re able to keep your voice at a normal volume and tone. You are also thinking before you’re speaking. This helps to ensure that you’re not saying things that you don’t mean and you’re also choosing to not play the blame game, which can help to limit the conflict that you’re dealing with.
4. You’re Considering Your Partner’s Communication Style
You and your partner may not have the same communication style and that’s completely okay. You just have to learn how to communicate effectively together. Considering how your partner communicates can be huge in the conversations you have together. It will also show your partner that you care about them and want what’s best for the both of you and your relationship together.
5. You’re Patient with One Another
Patience, just like communicating, is one of the most important aspects of any relationship. Healthy relationships and communication both require patience. Your relationship and the conversations you share together won’t always be sunshine and rainbows. It’s important to know when you and your partner need a break to step back and breathe. Know your limits as well as your partners so that you can both have calm and respectful conversations together.
Next Steps
No matter if you feel like you’re communicating effectively or not, communication is one of those things that can always be improved upon. One of the best ways to improve the communication that you have with your partner is to reach out for an outside third party’s perspective. Working with a therapist can help you and your partner further understand one another’s point of view and ensure that you’re on the same page. . Contact me today to set up a consultation.