Here’s an overview of resolving conflict in various relationships.
When we over-address, it can seem everything's wrong and push the spouse toward losing hope, but when we pretend nothing's wrong, we neglect cleaning out the relationship and allow walls to build.
When we over-address, it can seem everything's wrong and push the spouse toward losing hope, but when we pretend nothing's wrong, we neglect cleaning out the relationship and allow walls to build.
If we address issues too frequently, we create the feeling we are unhappy and dissatisfied, but if we address them infrequently, we come across as not caring. How can you land on somewhere in the middle?
When we talk more easily, we can come across as aggressive, and when we don't talk as much, we can come across as withdrawing. This can send a message we didn't intend.
Tone of voice can twist a well-intentioned message. Anytime we express negative feelings via tone of voice, it's likely to return a negative response.
Is your wife withdrawing from you or becoming increasingly intense toward you? Let's talk about how you can help.
Our relationships are living and functioning. As such, they produce waste. In marriage, resolving conflict removes waste and prevents its buildup between husband and wife.
What's a man to do with a crying, wounded woman? (Yes, the idea for the title came from the movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.")
His and her brains respond differently to anger. Let's talk about info on this topic we found in Dr. Carolyn Leaf's book, Who Switched Off My Brain?
Male and female are different in the way our brains are wired. Let's look at what's different in the way we perceive, with info discussed from Dr. Carolyn Leaf's book, Who Switched Off My Brain.
Have you ever apologized, but it wasn't well-received? Here are some tips to help you say your apology well.
If we're not careful, we can get in our own way when it comes to catching our spouse's heart message.
How do we make decisions together when we have such different perspectives? We're supposed to have different perspectives! Let's look at how to blend.
Maintaining connectivity while your spouse is sharing is doing your part as listener.
Keeping our cool while sharing a challenging thought can be difficult, but it's the only way to talk things through.
Did you know the way you start communication can determine how it goes?
We both have something to say, but we can only work through one topic at a time and must wait until it's our turn to share.
Before we can address issues well, we should create an environment of unconditional love and acceptance of our spouse as-is without trying to change him/her.
Are you feeding a negative cycle in your marriage? You bring up a topic that automatically escalates, and you don't know what happened? Couples contribute to the negative spiral, and it can worsen over time. What sets it up?
How did we get here? Understanding the set up for negativity can help us understand how to reverse it.
As a couple, we've developed a history together. Now, our spouse expects conversation to go a certain way based on our responses. We need to create new expectations.
We expect so much in marriage! Regardless of what we think our spouse SHOULD do, we need to be Ok with what our spouse CHOOSES to do. (We're not talking about destructive choices here)
If you’re the listener, you’d want to be listening…. If you’re the speaker, you’d want to share your message in a way the listener can hear.
If you're struggling with getting your spouse to hear you when you present a problem to resolve, maybe you could improve your set up.
What can you do to improve the chance your spouse may really listen when you share?
How might you help your spouse become aware of your challenging preferences or triggers?
Repairing and soothing can help us stay calm during conflict and keep it healthy.
What's your tendency when resolving marital issues? Are you more aggressive or avoiding when you interact with your spouse?
Many couples do not know how to talk about the deeper issues of the heart to take their marriages to a deeper level. In this video, we discuss how to work through those things that are hindering growth and damaging trust in relationships.
