Relationships aren’t easy. And if you feel like you’ve hit a snag in your relationship and need to start over, effective positive emotions and positive communication is the first thing to work on. After all, effective communication is the “key” to successful relationships – no matter how corny that phrase may be.
If you think your relationship may have hit a wall due to a lack of communication, it’s more important than ever to create a plan to ensure effective communication and assertive communication.
But how? How do we improve our communication skills?
Below, you will find seven simple steps to create positive communication between you and your partner.
How To Build Effective and Positive Communication in Your Relationship
Don’t worry – building positive internal communication in the relationship is easy when you have a game plan with positive expectations. Here’s how to do it.
Be Honest
One of the first ways to open up positive communication is by being honest – even when it hurts, otherwise it would turn into negative communication.
But how do you show you are honest with your partner? Well, simple things such as speaking up when something upsets you – or makes you happy – are a great first step toward positive expectations. It shows that you trust the other individual with your thoughts and feelings, regardless of how the situation may turn out and which psychological outcomes may arise.
Listen Without Interruptions
To ensure effective, clear communication, you need to do as much listening as you do talking. There are many ways to show that you’re listening, including:
Making nonverbal cues while the other person is talking, such as nodding your head.
Asking questions about what the person is saying to get a better understanding of their thoughts and feelings with a soft tone of voice.
Making eye contact with the person speaking and ignoring distractions and avoid making facial expressions that may mislead to negative communication.
Give Your Partner Undivided Attention
Lack of communication in a relationship is a recipe for disaster and negative communication, but so is being distracted while your partner is trying to talk to you. Nothing says “I don’t care” quite like being more interested in other things – such as a TV set or someone ordering a drink at Starbucks – while you’re speaking to someone.
With that in mind, consider having important conversations in a quiet place to have better psychological outcomes. Turn off the TV and the radio and set your phone to the side on silent which are communication behaviors that lead to negative communication. Effective communication rules are to make it a point to give your partner your full, undivided attention. In this way, they feel respected and heard which means you get the benefits of empathy, leading to positive communication with great psychological outcomes due to effectiveness of empathy.
Talk About the Small Things
Not every conversation has to be about enormous, super important topics or situations. Being lighthearted and making chit-chat with your lover is a great segway into a deeper conversation when needed. So, don’t hesitate to talk about your day, sports, the weather, etc, these are the bases of human communication.
Find a Private Neutral Space
Talking in a crowded, bustling area can be challenging, even when trying your hardest to focus on the other person. That said, one great way to ensure effective, clear communication with people is to find a private space to talk that’s 100% neutral (i.e., avoid having a conversation at your mother-in-law’s house!).
Set Designated Quality Time
Most couples know the importance of “date night.” Have the two of you been making time for these special one-on-one moments? If not, then it’s unsurprising that the communication hasn’t been all too great and there’s a lack of confidence.
Reconnect with some special quality time, and make a habit out of it! And yes, that means fitting quality time into your busy schedules – it’s entirely worth it, though, and your partner will notice that you’re taking time out just to focus on them, which will give you amazing psychological outcomes.
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
Jumping to conclusions will likely only conclude one thing – incorrect and negative communication with terrible psychological outcomes. Jumping to conclusions rarely amounts to anything good but negative communication. It causes more harm than good with adverse effects. Rather than jumping to conclusions, talk with your partner to get the facts or you will get negative emotions in your relationship.
Positive Communication is Essential for a Healthy, Strong Relationship
If you’ve put communication on the back burner and you are having negative communication, don’t worry – many couples go through this rough point but if solved it can contribute to positive psychology that leads to concrete behavior and add to your interpersonal skills in terms of human communication. The good news is that you now know how to restore your relationship with positive communication. Start by being open and honest with your significant other and set aside one-on-one time to restore strong communication. while you retrieve the benefits of effective communication rules and the benefits of empathy.
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