Improve Communication Skills in Relationships – The Mindful Space

Good communication is imperative in any kind of relationships. It can avoid conflicts, misunderstandings and isolation. It’s not just about small talk. You need to be able to go deep and most importantly, learn how to listen, not how to talk. Wondering how you can do this? Here are five ways to improve your communication in your relationships. Number five. Five separate the person from the action. It is not one against the other, but instead both of you against a problem. So please don’t fall into the blaming game. Focus on the solution or whatever it is that is bothering you, and work as a team. By separating the action, you allow yourself to have a different perspective. Number four asking open ended questions. Yes or no questions won’t lead to any type of deep conversation. So try to ask questions like tell me why it bothers you when I don’t take out the trash? Or what is it something I can do to better help you with your anxiety? Use this opportunity to explore each other and discover new things. Number three be an active listener. Are you actually listening or Are you waiting to speak? Try to be fully present in the conversation. You can also paraphrase what your partner said to make sure you understood the message correctly. And maybe use some verbal affirmations, such as I see, sure or thank you. Number two expressing empathy statements such as I’m sorry you’re going through this, or I hate that this happened. I can see how this can be difficult for you can go a long way. You can also show interest and gratitude by saying, I’m glad you told me this and what has this been like for you? And number one, keep checking in. What does this mean? Well, this might be a quick question, a catch up, like, Honey, how was your day? Or you might pick a designated time to talk about your relationship, whether it’s a Monday, a Wednesday or Friday. Whatever your strategy is, it is important to check in here and there. Don’t forget, just because you’ve guys been together for ten years, you still have to check on each other. Just remember, being able to clearly communicate will increase trust, intimacy and will allow you to be better with conflict resolution. So you don’t have to be afraid to use these tools in any of your relationships. So go ahead and leave me a comment and let me know what kind of open ended questions you asked your partner. If you’d like to learn more about green flags to look out for in a relationship, please watch this video.