5 Steps to Better Relationships

Nothing of value can be obtained without effort. The more we invest in relationships, the more successful they will be for us. Just five steps will help make them happy.

1. Express gratitude

One of the best ways to strengthen your relationship with a partner, relative, or friend is to feel free to express your gratitude to that person. This is not about the usual polite “thank you” for something that was given to you or done for you. Real Gratitude – it is a deep appreciation for the fact that this person is present in your life.

By showing sincere gratitude, you show that you truly appreciate the person and understand that they are important to your happiness and well-being. At the same time, emphasize its best qualities.

2. Try to stick to a 5:1 ratio

Researcher John Gottman argues that in order to maintain a good relationship with a person, it is important that in our communication with him there are at least 5 times more “positive” than “negative”. This means that one unpleasant conversation will have to “compensate” for quite a long time. When your relationships with friends and loved ones are saturated with positive (even in small things!), It is easier for you to endure life’s hardships and difficulties.

3. Show empathy

Empathy – it is the ability to look at the world through the eyes of another, to understand his thoughts. It is like the fuel that feeds our relationships with friends and loved ones.

Think about what you could do for a loved one to show him that you truly understand him? What will he feel about it? What will it change in his life? Show your empathy in actions, prove your love in action, so that the person close to you sees that you really understand what is in his soul.

4. Get rid of prejudice

Tying relationships (both friendships and love), we inevitably enter into these relationships with a whole set of already formed ideas about life, children, money and everything else. Often we perceive our own ideas as an indisputable truth and forget to clarify whether a friend or partner shares our views. Often conflicts arise because of contradictions in views on life, which friends or partners never bothered to even discuss.

To keep things running smoothly in a relationship, it’s critical to openly and honestly discuss all the beliefs, beliefs, and expectations that each of you brings to the relationship. Then you can decide together which ones you will discard, which ones you will keep, and which ones you will create.

Every relationship – it is a new universe that you are creating together with your friend or partner. This is what makes them beautiful. Your task – better understand both yourself and the other person in order to decide how you want to see your union.

5. Learn how to properly resolve conflicts

The quality of our relations largely depends on the “quality” of our conflicts. Healthy relationships do not mean the absence of conflicts, but friends or partners are very skillful in resolving them, and as a result, the relationship only strengthens. Remember that behind any complaint or dissatisfaction there is some kind of request, and it is the wishes of your friend or partner that are worth discussing, and not his complaints.

For example, instead of complaining, “You’re always late,” you could say, “Shall we leave the house at 7:30 today? It’s important for me”. Remember that couples who know how to approach conflict with humor are more durable and partners in such couples are more satisfied with the relationship. And of course, be sure to listen. Always be willing to take the time to listen to whatever your friend or partner has to say.