4 Tips to Handle Conflict in Your Relationship
Regardless of how strong your relationship is or how compatible you are, there are bound to be some bumps along the road of love.
But did you know that, when handled properly, conflict can be essential for strengthening your partnership?
Keep reading to learn four tips on moving past conflict and preventing it from damaging your relationship.
Why Handling Conflict in Relationships is Important
Constant conflict can have devastating effects on your relationship when left untreated. But proven conflict resolution strategies can help keep challenges and disagreements at bay.
Tip #1: Learn to Communicate Effectively with Your Partner
Effective communication is key to diffusing conflict. However, many problems can arise during communication when someone listens solely to reply rather than listens to understand the other person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Tip #2: Practice Active Listening and Empathy
Use these active listening tips to communicate effectively with your partner:
- Eliminate all distractions — phones, tv, radio
- Face your partner and make eye contact
- Allow your partner to finish speaking before saying anything
- When it’s your turn to speak, paraphrase what you just heard: “Let me make sure I understand what you’re saying…”
- Empathize with your partner by finding something about their perspective that you can agree with
Tip #3: Avoid Using Negative Language and Blame
Refrain from using “never” and “always” during disagreements. These trigger words can quickly escalate a heated discussion because they provoke defensiveness. Using negative statements in absolute terms attacks the recipient's entire personality, so instead of saying, “You never think about how I feel”, use “I” statements to keep the focus on your feelings, “I feel like my feelings don’t matter to you”.
Tip #4: Seek Outside Help When Needed
Both partners need to be open and willing participants when it comes to healthy conflict resolution. If you find this isn’t possible with your partner or spouse, you may want to seek help from a couples counsellor or therapist extensively trained on how to deal with conflict in a relationship.
If It's Time for Marriage Counselling, the Love of Attraction Can Help
Using conflict resolution in relationships improves communication, builds deeper connections, transforms relationships, and progresses both partners toward shared goals.
With our help, you and your partner can restore your love to a place of peace, respect, and understanding in a world where you feel comfortable communicating positively and effectively.
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