Enhance Communication with Your Partner

7 Ideas to Enhance Communication with Your Partner

Communication with Your Partner

Enhance communication with your partner. Relationships are often easy to manage in the beginning. The anticipation, newness, fun, and passion are all the fuel a new connection needs to power it forward. However, these things tend to wane over time. The relationship requires more than the things that fueled the initial attraction — especially if the interest is heavily driven by pulchritude. Without growth and marked progression, relationships tend to grow stale.

Communication becomes a crucial part of every relationship. Communication maintains and builds closeness. It also helps to avoid many of the misunderstandings and avoidable drama that plague many relationships. Without effective communication, it is virtually impossible to develop mutual expectations or to formulate and express how you feel with clarity.

If the communication with your partner is poor, it’s only a matter of time before the relationship suffers dramatically. The best time to enhance communication with your partner is before you need it. Attempting to develop communication skills in the heat of battle or during turbulent times is often a cyclopean endeavor that proves too much for most.  

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Use these strategies to enhance communication with your partner:

  1. Ask more questions. Questions are a powerful communication tool. They accomplish so much with so little effort.

    1. Questions show interest. By asking a question, you’re implying that you care. People like it when you demonstrate that you care. Asking questions also invites the other party to be open and communicate what they are feeling without feeling like they are imposing or pushy.

    1. Questions help to remove confusion and ambiguity. Rather than make assumptions and potentially create a more significant issue, ask a question and verify what is happening. There seems to be a natural human proclivity to make assumptions. Unfortunately, we tend to interpret and evaluate things based on our personal perspectives without considering the variations in background, personal experience, and more when making postulations. Instead of postulating what your partner is feeling, ask.

    1. Questions aren’t a lot of work. Just ask the question, be quiet, and listen. You can be quite the skilled conversationalist just by asking a couple of good questions. Asking good questions can make all of your relationships more rewarding. As a therapist and coach, my sessions with my clients are guided by the questions I ask. Much of what I get my clients to see is done by formulating the right questions and allowing them to figure out the solution.  

Enhance Communication with Your Partner
  1. Listen. Half of communication is listening. When it’s your partner’s turn to talk, listen. Most people don’t really listen. All they want to do is speak. You would be surprised at how often people listen only to prepare their responses. Listening is often viewed as simply waiting for another opportunity to talk, but this is a huge mistake. People are well aware whether you’re listening or just biding your time. One of the quickest ways to turn a relationship sour is to convince your mate that you are not listening to them. The feeling of being ignored can turn even the most likable person cold.

  2. Communicate your needs. Don’t make it difficult for your partner to know what you need from them. Tell them! There’s no reason to make it a secret. Your mate is not a mindreader. Make it easy for them to help you and contribute to your joy. I don’t believe in making other people responsible for your happiness, but a good mate will definitely contribute to it in the right situation.

    1. Communicating your needs is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your relationship. One of the greatest disruptors of relationships is unmet expectations. Don’t you think it is a bit difficult to meet expectations that haven’t been clearly communicated? It is hard to accomplish something you aren’t even aware that you are supposed to do.

  1. Spend more time together. It’s important to share some of the same experiences. It helps you to learn more about each other and gives you something to discuss. Shared experiences provide the opportunity for better bonding. What are some things that you both like to do? Find common ground as much as you can. The more you find yourself on common ground, the deeper the bond you will develop.

  2. Avoid assumptions. Assumptions unnecessarily create additional challenges in all relationships. It’s easier to be 100% certain than to guess. Assumptions lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. If you’re not sure about something, ask.

  3. Address the situation rather than attack your partner. If your partner is doing something you don’t like, address what they are doing. This approach is much more effective than attacking your partner. No one wants to be attacked. It shuts down communication and creates animosity. Learn how to separate the action from the person. Always address the action rather than take an accusatory tone with your partner.

  4. Have fun together. Do fun activities that you both love. Do things together that are enjoyable. Communication is easier when everyone is having a good time. The more you enjoy someone’s company, the more you let your guard down and the less defensive you are. You’ll like each other more if you can have fun with each other. If all the time you spend together is miserable, your relationship and your communication will suffer.

Better communication with our partners is something that we know we need, but it’s not always obvious how to accomplish it. Relationships require work. If you are willing to invest the time, energy, and effort necessary to become a better communicator, you will build strong, lasting relationships.

Fortunately, the basics are easy to accomplish. Spend more meaningful time together, focus on being an excellent listener, and communicate your needs. These simple steps can enhance your relationship significantly.

A meaningful relationship is worth the effort. Make your communication with your partner a priority. We live in a world that is speeding up each day. It is easy for people to feel lost, alone, and unheard. When you communicate with your mate, you let them know they have a voice and that they matter.

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