Effective Communication Skills With Your Significant Other

Communication skills are essential for a healthy, long-lasting relationship.

No relationship is without its problems, and even in the best of circumstances the occasional disagreement is inevitable. Communication is the key to building a healthy, long-lasting relationship, and the experts at Discovery Health have come up with a few ways to help couples do just that.

Communication Styles

Understanding that men and women simply process issues and communicate differently can help bridge the gap between common misunderstandings in relationships. Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of several women's health books, emphasizes the importance of women learning to not expect their mate to be a best friend, and to save the sob sessions for girlfriends.

Don't Be Shy

Dr. Northrup advises couples to "speak up" and says that if it feels as though your mate doesn't want to hear you, it's time to reevaluate the situation and take a different approach.

Don't Show Blame

Communication often starts to break down when one or both partners feel blame. Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks and Dr. Gay Hendricks, founders of the Hendricks Institute, say the way to communicate effectively without blame is to "listen generously, speak unarguably, focus on appreciation, turn your complaints into requests, and shift from blame to wonder."

References

• Discovery Health: 4 Communication Skills for Lifelong Relationships

Resources

• Discovery Health: 10 Steps to a More Intimate Relationship