Improve Communication With Your Partner Using this Simple Exercise
August 08, 2022
I wanted to follow up on a previous post about getting ‘stuck in the courtroom’. A reader posed the question on Facebook and asked for examples of how to improve communication and avoid getting stuck in their marriage.
Implement this simple exercise
It’s just three simple sentences.
- “When _________.”
- “I feel __________.
- “I want __________.”
How to use it in action:
Speak your feelings and wants very clearly. For example:
“When you said you’d get home at five and you came home at eight, I felt angry, disrespected and overlooked. I want your words and actions to match so that we can build trust.
This seems so simple, but yet it can be very difficult without practice. Be sure for your feel statement that you only use adjectives – either a single word or no more than two or maybe three words. For your want, it should be a short sentence that gets right to the point of what it is that you want to be different in the future.
You may also like:
I Love Him, but I Don’t Like Him
I love him, but I don't like him February 5, 2018Have you ever been in the midst of conflict with your spouse and thought "I love him, but I sure don't like him!"? I hear this from a lot of wives. Certain qualities of their husbands generate feelings of warmth and...
Are You Lying To Your Spouse?
Are You Lying to Your Spouse January 29, 2018We face a dilemma in our marriages: Do we lie and keep the peace? Or, do we share honestly and risk conflict? We’re all tempted to lie. Whether it’s a response to “Do these pants make me look big?” or “Did you remember to...
How Much Sex Should I Be Having?
How Much Sex Should I Be Having? January 23, 2018"My wife never wants to have sex" “In 20 years of marriage we’ve only had sex a dozen times” “My husband never seems satisfied. I’m exhausted!” “My friend tells me sex 2-3 times per week is normal for them.” “I’m just...
0 Comments