Help Your Partner Share Emotions
What do you do when your partner can’t or won’t share emotions? At the core of every relationship is an intersection of feelings. Emotions play a huge role in relationships, but weirdly enough, a lot of couples have a hard time actually opening up. This is especially common when times are rough. It’s one thing to talk about your positive emotions, those are fun and mutually celebrated. However, it’s an entirely different ball game when you need to bring up negative ones.
If you’re on the receiving end and your partner is hesitant to open up, you need some help. You may want to try out a few different ways to establish a comfortable space for emotional sharing. Here are three tips to try out the next time your partner has a hard time sharing their emotions.
Encourage Your Partner to Talk
Effective communication in a partnership is essential for a successful and healthy relationship. You want to encourage your partner to open up and be more communicative, right? Then it is important to first create an environment that allows for honest and vulnerable dialogue.
The key to developing strong communication between partners is making sure both parties feel heard, respected, and valued. This means taking the time to actively listen while avoiding judgement or assumptions. Additionally, ensuring that conversations are conducted with respect instead of criticism creates a safe space. That is where difficult topics can be discussed openly without fear of repercussions.
By understanding each other’s values and points of view, it is easier to come up with solutions that work for both parties. Creating this type of atmosphere requires patience as well as openness on both sides. That achievement ultimately encourages deeper connection within the partnership.
Sometimes all you need is an invitation. Don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper when you ask questions. This is your significant other we’re talking about, after all! You know this person better than anyone in the world. If you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock, ask another question. Expand upon the conversation. Find a way to navigate the discussion together so that your partner feels comfortable to completely open up to you.
Don’t Be Judgmental
A common couples issue is allowing judgment gets in the way of a healthy relationship. Sometimes judgment comes from projecting your own struggles onto someone else. Because you’re strongly connected to your partner, your own fears and apprehensions may manifest in judgment. No one wants to open up to a judgmental person. Therefore, try to monitor this and make sure you’re being open-minded and receptive to what they’re saying.
It is common to be judgemental of others, especially the people that are closest to us. This is especially true in relationships where assumptions and expectations can lead to disagreements and hurt feelings. However, it is important for a healthy relationship that couples learn techniques to reduce judging each other.
Judging your spouse may simply be a result of projecting one’s own fears onto them. This causes unnecessary arguments and weakening of the relationship bond. It is important for couples to recognize if they have difficulty dealing with their own issues. Without that recognition, it can often lead to judgemental behavior towards their partner. Don’t try to control your partner’s behavior by pointing out faults or flaws. It would be more beneficial for you and your partner if you worked together on understanding each other better. That would foster a trusting bond between you.
Respond with Deliberation
Responding to your partner with purpose and deliberation is an essential skill, no matter the situation. Deliberation implies taking matters slowly and carefully in order to reach the best decision or outcome. It also means that you take time to listen and understand what your partner is saying before offering a response. When done correctly, it can be an effective way of communicating with your partner. It ensures that both parties are heard and respected.
Purposeful responses require active listening skills. You must focus on understanding what your partner is trying to say instead of just listening for the sake of responding quickly. It involves asking questions if needed. Restate points or ideas so that both parties are properly informed about each other’s perspective. The goal should be for both parties to come away feeling heard and understood in order to move forward productively as a couple.
Whenever someone (especially a significant other) puts themselves in a vulnerable spot by opening up and talking about their feelings, your response is essential. Think about the noise level of applause after a show. This is how the cast gauges how well the show performed and how the show was received. The same goes for a serious conversation. After your partner says their piece, they will pick up on your response quickly. If they feel uncomfortable about the way you respond or they sense judgment coming from you, they may be less inclined to open up to you down the road.
Now Help Your Partner Share Emotions
These three tips may seem intuitive, but more often than not, they’re undervalued. The art of sharing emotions is delicate. It will take time, but as you continue to work toward being receptive and open-minded, you’ll notice a vast improvement in the dynamic of your relationship.
In conclusion, improving our ability to communicate and understand emotions is essential for any relationship. Practicing these skills can be difficult, but the effort will pay off in improved relationships. With regular practice, we can all become better communicators of emotion and help our partner do the same. Developing an understanding of how to listen, express, and interpret emotions takes time, but it’s worth the effort to have stronger relationships and even closer bonds with those we care about.
While it may require some practice, the effort is certainly worth it when it comes to helping your partner become a better communicator of emotions. Start by listening more actively and providing feedback in an honest and non-judgmental way. Make sure to communicate with empathy and understanding, as this will help your partner feel heard and appreciated.
Click here for our article Expressing Your Feelings to Someone You Love
Click here for BeBestU.com article section on ‘Expressing Feelings’
Another click for the article Talk It Out: Communication 101 for Couples, on Healthline.com
