Relationships are not a piece of cake and it is never smooth sailing all along. Remember, even the most successful couples have challenges and they can disagree with something or the other once in a while. However, they do not allow ego to control the outcome of these challenges and find a way out to respect their bond and move ahead together in life. In today’s post we will look out how the most successful couples manage relationship challenges so that the next time you have a fallout with your special one, you would just know what to do!
Let us look at the common relationship challenges and what power couples do to resolve them-
1. Communication and respect
Yes, this is one of the most important steps to manage challenges and get your love life back on its track. Ban phrases like “you always”, “you never” while discussing about a problem and remember never raise your voice. Use body language to show your partner that you are attentively listening, and do not look at your phone, glance at the clock or pick your nails. If needed rephrase with respect. Never let things go undiscussed- this makes the problem worse and misunderstandings lead to mistrust. Your choice of words is important and so never say anything that you cannot take back later.
2. Sex
Even partners in a relationship who sincerely love one another can have issues with sex and at times they can be a mismatch as well. The problems with sex get worse when you lack sexual education and awareness. For a happy and healthy relationship sex is vital as it brings you closer, releases “feel-good” hormones and builds chemistry. In order to combat challenges in your sex life, plan, and keep the kids with a nanny or a relative or have a routine on Fridays when they go for a sleepover. It is not needed that you should have sex only in the night when you are tired. Get some in between an afternoon nap or go in for a before work quickie.
Come up with a “sexy list” that will have the things that turn your partner on and if you make sex a regular affair on the calendar, it just spices things up. Change a bit and have sex in the kitchen, standing up in the hallway, and more. If you still have problems, consult a sex therapist to get professional help.
3. Finance
Monetary issues can begin even before you take the wedding vows so take a deep breath and get into some serious discussion. You should be honest about your financial condition and if things are not going smooth, you need to make realistic changes in your lifestyle habits. Never talk about finances when both of you are emotionally charged, set out a time where both of you can discuss the present scenario of money that is calm and non-threatening. Acknowledge the truth that one person is a saver and the other a spender- there are benefits to both, so learn from each other’s money habits. Never hide debts or your income, you can always support your status with a credit report, bank statement, insurance policies, investment documents, etc.
Never get into the blame game and work together to create a budget with savings. Decide on long and short-term goals, it is important for you to have family goals along with individual goals too. Decide which of you are going to pay the bills every month. If you need to look after aged parents, talk about how you can plan for their financial needs.
4. Trust
Here, you need to be realistic and be sensitive to the feelings of the other person. Most important, never dig up old wounds. If you have unresolved issues trusting other people seek help from a professional therapist. Besides the above, listen and be consistent with your promises. Never lie, even a white lie can damage your relationship if you are not careful. When you are arguing with your partner, it is important for you to be fair, and even if you disagree with the viewpoint of the other person, never discount their feeling. In case things do go wrong, never overact, and keep jealousy out of the relationship. If your partner has boundaries, always respect them.
When it comes to relationship problems, the above are the key challenges that do crop up. However, successful couples do not habor the thought that things will be better if they break up and hook up with someone else. They work on these challenges together as they know that if they do break up and these problems still exist in them, the relationship with a new person will also go for a toss, as these skills have to be built in order to survive any relationship with love!
