Expressing Your Feelings to Someone You Love

Expressing your feelings to someone you love can be difficult.  Our article wants to help with some tips to make it easier.  When your significant other knows you better than anyone else does, you’d think that it would be easy to open up and talk about your feelings with them. That’s not always the case, though. It takes courage to talk about your emotions, especially when they’re negative or vulnerable.

For the sake of your relationship, it’s essential that you are open and honest (and sometimes vulnerable) with your partner. The process may take time, so start with these four steps to sharing your emotions with your significant other.

Explore New Words to Summarize Your Feelings

In an age where people are constantly communicating with one another, it can be difficult to express feelings accurately. However, being specific in what we say can help us to better communicate our thoughts and feelings with others.

We often default to sad, mad, and happy, but there’s a whole catalog of words that are more specific and clearer in describing how you really feel. Instead of staying angry, you may use the word “frustrated.” Rather than say you are confused, you may say you’re disoriented. Pinpoint the feeling first, and then find the words that truly summarize your feelings. It’ll be much easier to articulate this to a significant other when you’ve spent time thinking about your feelings.

Using specific words to describe the emotions that you feel can help to reduce confusion and allow those around you to better understand you. When someone else is trying to talk about their feelings with you, make sure that you take the time to really listen and pay attention so that you can more accurately identify what they are trying to tell you.

Be Direct

When it comes to communicating your feelings, being direct is essential. It’s important to stay away from passive aggressive comments or behavior when expressing yourself as this can lead to hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Being upfront and vulnerable in conversations with those close to you allows others the opportunity to understand your emotions and create a deeper connection between you.

It’s never easy or comfortable to express our true feelings in difficult situations but it is a vital part of building strong relationships. Sharing honestly helps build trust with one another and eliminates any confusion that could arise if we’re not honest about our thoughts or emotions. Furthermore, direct communication opens up the conversation so that both parties can be heard, understood and respected for their perspective.

Remember, passive-aggressive communication is not an option! By putting yourself out there and explaining your thoughts and feelings, you’re deciding to be upfront about everything. Don’t let yourself slip into a vortex of passive-aggressive comments and holding back tendencies. You’ll just end up backtracking and feeling like you’ve repressed more than you wanted to.

Embrace Change

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Having a relationship with someone can be a roller coaster of emotions. It is inevitable that feelings between two people will change over time.  However, this does not have to signify the end of the relationship. Instead, understanding and respecting that feelings can fluctuate should be embraced in order for couples to stay together.

It is important to understand that any relationship should evolve over time.  This change results as  both partners grow and learn more about each other. People’s personalities; needs, wants and desires are constantly changing .  Therefore it should come as no surprise if those same changes occur in relationships too. Couples need to accept this fact and remain open-minded when it comes to feeling different than before.  They need to anticipate and embrace these changes.  By doing so, couples will have an easier time navigating their evolving dynamic.  And they can accomplish this without jeopardizing their bond or sacrificing their own individuality.

So how can you approach your partner about your feelings while acknowledging that they do change?  With feelings, change is the only constant, so you should preface your conversation with this notion. Try saying something like, “This may change, but right now, I feel like this.” This way, you and your significant other are on the same page, and you’ll monitor your feelings as time passes, rather than hold yourself to the same ones.

Make It A Two-Way Street

Relationship communication is a two way street. In order to make a relationship successful, it is essential for both partners to be able to share their thoughts and feelings openly and honestly with one another. It is not enough to simply express your own opinions without taking into account the other person’s feelings. Both individuals must take time to truly listen, understand, and respond to each other’s point of view.

Without proper communication skills, the relationship can suffer from misunderstandings or miscommunication.   This can lead to an overall feeling of disconnection between the couple. The ability for both people in the relationship to effectively communicate with one another will help build trust, unity and emotional intimacy in the relationship.

When you’re in a relationship, there’s a “me,” a “you,” and an “us.” This two-way street is all-encompassing, and feelings are a big part of it. Encourage your significant other to open up to you. You’ll feel more comfortable knowing you both talk about your feelings.

You Are Ready

In conclusion, expressing your feelings to someone you love can be a powerful tool for deepening the connection and trust between two people. Taking the time to pause and reflect on how you feel about someone, and then finding the courage to share it, takes practice. However, when done mindfully and with sensitivity, expressing your feelings can foster greater understanding and intimacy in relationships with those we care most deeply about. It is an act of vulnerability that requires courage, but one which often yields immense rewards.

You’re four steps closer to a healthy conversation about your emotions, but don’t stop there! Practice makes perfect.  So after you knock out a few of these talks, it will feel more and more natural to you. Be bold and put yourself out there!