20 Communication Tips for Couples by Boyle Barnett is a 30-minute guide to a better relationship. This guide will help anyone interested in improving communication with their partner. It’s filled with common-sense ideas that can apply to any relationship. Couples can sit down together with this guide, address a specific problem, select the tips that may best help reconcile their issues, and move forward toward a deeper understanding and a better relationship.
Each tip can offer a lifetime of benefit when used to enhance communication. These simple yet profound tips can turn a struggling relationship around or take a good relationship to the next level of clear communication. Wanna sneak peak from the book? Here is one of my favorites.
Tip #11: Reply to, rather than react to, your partner. ~ Because reacting is such a common cause of miscommunication and misunderstanding, this is one of the most important tips in this book.
Reacting is nonverbal; it is an indirect attempt to show someone how you think or feel. On the other hand, replying means verbalizing or stating directly to your partner your thoughts and feelings. Reacting is doing something in response to what your partner says or does, instead of simpoly talking to them about it.
When you react or change the course of your actions because of something your partner says or does, you are no longer living your life according to your own design. Instead, you are letting another’s words or actions control, or at least influence, your behavior.
If your partner does or says something that causes you to create feelings you don’t approve of and you, in turn, judge yourself as being wrong for having those feelings, you may tray to keep those feelings hidden. What always comes out, in one way or antoher, is your reaction. Your mate won’t know what, if anything, they did wrong, so they end up playing a guessing game, trying to guess why you are behaving the way you are. If they guess wrong or react, rather than asking you directly what’s going on, then you both end up guessing. All this guessing causes miscommunication, and it becomes even more difficult to understand each other.
Instead of automatically reacting to what your mate said or did, first talk to them about it and decide if your reactions are appropriate. When you react to your mate and they react to your reaction, you both lose touch with your initial intentions.”
Have you experienced something like this with your partner or a friend? Just think how much more smoothly communication would be if we responded to our partner rather then reacted. Start communicating better with your partner today and get yourself a copy of 20 Communication Tips for Couples.
xoxo
Angela, The Goddess Next Door
-
Rachel
-
Ana Otero
