Communication is a means of understanding ourselves and others where our internal communication can be enlightening, can search deep within ourselves to find our truth because it is the sense of communication in which communication is made that makes it a means to be better each day within but within. Any relationship, it can be a blessing or a disaster. Partners rely heavily on verbal communication and we cannot expect others to know and understand what we feel without properly communicating our wants and needs.
Many times not doing this will strain the relationship and create a rift between the partners. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, psychiatrist and mental health expert Dr Rashi Agarwal shared, “Good communication motivates engagement in the tasks at hand and brings clarity to problem solving. At the very least, communicating a good message effectively can bring about positive changes in individual attitudes and influence their thoughts and behaviors, often with long-term effects.”
She suggested 3 ways to strengthen the art of communication in a relationship:
- Be a good listener – The best way to communicate well is to listen well. This is what most of us lack in everyday life, we are in such a rush to give our opinion or share what we know that we forget to listen. Communication is merely a state of exchange of information rather than reaching a conclusion.
- By being present at this moment – Do you and your body language show that you want to move this conversation forward or that you are busy on your phone or looking around? When one person appears distracted and disaffected, other parties may withdraw from the conversation and withhold information that may be important to the discussion.
- watching your voice – Many times it’s not what we say but how we say it. Many things communicated through good intentions with a bad tone can come out to a completely different interpretation. So pay attention to matching your intentions with your words and body language to achieve the right balance in your relationship.
Adding to the list of points to consider, Dr Meghna Dixit, author, brain and performance expert and recommended:
- Keep your inner space free of conflict with yourself and the world – Work on yourself to continually release mental and emotional baggage, so that our past experiences do not repeat themselves in your future relationships.
- Be willing to find out the truth – Usually we are able to see what needs to change for the other person in the relationship and we get stuck on it. Factor in whether or not you contributed to bringing the communication to the present.
- Respect yourself and others in any communication – Mutual give and take in mental, emotional and physical aspects is necessary for relationship development, however, it should never be selective in terms of respecting one’s own and others’ wishes and concerns.
Kanchan Rai, founder of Let Us Talk and mental and emotional wellness coach, emphasizes, “Communication is an essential key to healthy partnerships and finding each other. In intimate relationships, communication is a difficult art that can lead to either phenomenal or disastrous results.” He listed some pointers to ace this art:
To improve communication in your relationship, you need to figure out how to listen, not how to talk. By listening well, you are able to clearly understand the message your partner is sending and vice versa. Ask questions, listen, support and learn about each other. Random guesses, over-thinking only lead to more complications. Don’t expect your partner to automatically read your mind even after years of togetherness.
- Expressing yourself honestly and respectfully
Be clear about what you want to say, your feelings and your needs. to be Honest and open how to improve communication in a relationship should be at the top of the list. Walking away from arguments and situations for fear of conflict will lead to future misunderstandings. When you disagree on something, express it respectfully to your partner, listen to each other and find a common ground.
- Empathy and understanding
Your intimate relationships should be your safety net from the rest of the world. Empathy allows you to validate your partner’s feelings and reassure them that they are not wrong about those feelings. Listening to each other in a non-judgmental way builds trust and allows your partner to open up to you.