In many ways, a relationship is like a garden: you need to make a deliberate effort to care for the soil so that plants can have a strong foundation. Whether it’s igniting a spark in the relationship or handling conflicts better, the quarantine presents us with opportunities to connect with our loved ones and understand them more profoundly. It’s our relationships that will get us through this time where the world is filled with anxiety and distress, and it’s become critical now more than ever that we cultivate our relationships.

In this episode, I answer questions from two listeners regarding how we can deeply connect with our partners and the different ways we process disagreements. I discuss the need for vulnerability in relationships as well as share questions you can ask your partners to foster a connection with them. I suggest ways for a couple to manage their differences when it comes to conflict resolution and discuss things to avoid while arguing. I also discuss how arguments are more about managing them - as opposed to solving them - and how successfully managing differences in the ways we handle conflict can create more respect for each other.

 

“Go underneath the surface. That’s the soil where your relationship is going to flourish.” - Pripo Teplitsky

  

This week on Relationships! Let’s Talk About It:

• What you can do to create a spark in your relationship
• How deeper questions can build deeper connections
• Questions to ask your partner to understand them on a deeper level
• Different ways to ask deep questions
• The need for vulnerability in relationships
• How to manage differences in the way we process disagreements
• The different styles of dealing with conflict and fair fighting
• Making agreements as a means to handle relationship conflict
• Blaming, lashing out, degrading language, and other things to avoid during an argument

 

 

Listener Questions - Let’s Talk About It:

• What can we do to feel more connected in our relationship?
• How can we manage our differences in processing disagreements?

 

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Facebook Live with Joan Lunden

 

 

Related Content:

• The Need for Patience
• Dealing with Grumpiness, Irritability, and Defensiveness
• Practicing Empathy is Key to Building Trust
• Navigating Your Relationships
• The Art of Listening
• Understand and Manage Differences in Your Relationships
• Managing Conflict in Partnerships

 

 

Let’s Talk About It!

 

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Relationships! Let’s Talk About It - the show to help you forge deeper, more meaningful connections and relationships with those around you. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us a rating and review.

If you have a relationship question you’d love to have answered, visit our podcast page to leave us a voice message. Your question may be featured on a future episode!

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Theme music “These Streets” provided by Adi the Monk