Table of Contents
I’m sure you’ve tried to strengthen your relationship by doing things that you might have heard, read, or seen people do.
So, today I thought of writing about things to stop doing in your relationship that would help strengthen your relationship.
If you are like me, you would value your relationship more than anything else and make sure to keep working on it to make it better.
You might want to read my earlier post about why love hurts in a relationship and how to heal a relationship when love hurts – to know more about relationships.
So, if you are in a relationship, you need to be very careful of your actions and your words because they can hurt anyone – anytime. They also cause a lot of misunderstandings in the relationship.
“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” ~ Henry Winkler
Stop Doing These Things to Strengthen Your Relationship
If you want your relationship to get better and flourish, you need to avoid doing the following things –
1- Stop being a complainer
It’s alright to complain once in a while when you are in a relationship, but if you complain too often – you might just put off the other person.
Your partner might find it taxing or draining to be around you because you complain about every little things, and much too often.
Remember, people like to be around those who remain positive, so remain positive in your action and words.
Tip: You can make you relationship strong if you stop being a complainer.
2- Hurting through your comments
Sometimes you feel that you are helping others by the way you talk. Instead, your good intentions might be taken negatively because of the way you express them verbally.
Words can hurt and leave scars, so choose your words wisely. Put yourself in the shoes of the other and think how you would feel if you were spoken to in such a way.
Tip: Build a strong relationship by speaking kindly, lovingly, and softly.
3- Talking and not listening
Listening is an art few can follow. Sometimes when you are in a relation, you just want someone to hear you out without giving solutions to you. You just want a listening ear more than anything else.
Most people look forward to share their feelings and frustrations with someone. This lightens them up and makes them feel better.
However, few people can really become good listeners. It often happens that when someone starts telling them their problems – they start talking about their own, or start giving solutions!
Such one-sided kind of conversation becomes stifling at times, and your relationship doesn’t really work.
Instead, your partner might look for another person who would be willing to hear him or her out – so be careful!
Tip: You can strengthen your relationship by being attentive and willing to hear out your partner, without letting your mind run to other things!
4- Being critical and defensive
Some of you might not take criticism well enough and tend to become defensive when you are given a feedback or criticized for something.
While there are others who take criticism well into their stride and use it to get better. They take it up in a positive way.
Constructive criticism and feedback is good, but if you become too critical it can hurt your relationship. If you keep complaining or highlighting the flaws of your partner, it can be very annoying.
Tip: You can make your relationship better by appreciating the good things in your partner.
5- Thinking that you are right and know everything
I’m sure most of you can relate to this one! You need to drop the belief that you are always right in whatever you do, because you can also be wrong.
Learn to accept this fact and listen to the other person because everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, even if it doesn’t match yours.
When you have preconceived ideas that you are right always, you are seemingly making the other person’s ideas stand wrong.
Remember, there’s a wealth of knowledge out there to learn, so don’t think you know it all.
Tip: Improve your relationship by opening up your mind to others, and by valuing them.
6- Staying distant
At times, in your relationship you might find some people who aren’t as responsive and prefer staying aloof or distant. They don’t respond to you or feel that you aren’t all that important.
What would you do in such a case? You would prefer to stay away from such people because you form a bad impression about their attitude and behavior.
Tip: Instead, strengthen your relationship by getting closer, responding, and reaching out to such people.
7- Ordering around
Most people don’t like when they are told what to do and what not to do. It’s like you are ordering them around or trying to boss over them and their lives.
I can relate to this as my husband feels that I’m ordering him around if I ask him to do certain things. Whereas, I do so because I’m short of time to explain things to him!
Even if you don’t mean to, it’s often taken in a negative way. You need to take time and explain things in a better manner.
Tip: Be gentle and loving with any person, and you’ll most likely build a strong relationship.
8- Judging others
Sometimes you might become judgmental about people in your relationship, or tend to think that you are above them. You might judge them for what they do or say.
Remember, you are no one to judge them because you don’t know how or what they are undergoing. Nor can you step into their shoes and live their lives.
No one likes to be judged or labeled – would you? Instead, by putting off people you don’t become a better person but make the other person insecure.
Tip: So, don’t judge or label people, but be kind and humble to make your relationship strong.
9- Not keeping your word
It often happens that people don’t keep their word, nor follow up on things they had agreed to do. They don’t stick to their promise, appointments, favors, or whatever they had said they would do.
This breaks the trust you have in the person because it makes the person unreliable. Besides leaving a bad taste in your mouth, you might not want to work or be associated with such a person in the future.
Tip: If you want to strengthen your relationship, be committed and responsible.
Hey! Let’s take a quick poll about how you would describe your relationship with your partner – just for fun!
[polldaddy poll=6992681]
So, how did the poll go, and what were your results? Let me know in the comments below.
Above all, don’t ever forget to communicate because poor communications leads to relationship problems. If you can’t talk to each other or share your feelings, your relationship needs help.
“Little kindness and courtesies are so important. In relationships, the little things are the big things.” ~ Stephen R. Covey
So, don’t wait, and go ahead and express your love right now!
Any relationship is like a tender bond. Remember, you can strengthen your relationship by nurturing this bond with love, care, and affection.
When the boat of your relationship sails smoothly, you will find eternal happiness and bliss in everything around you.
Over to you –
If you are or were in a relationship, what tips would you share to make the relationship strong? What things would you stop doing that will strengthen your relationship? Share in the comments below.
Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos