Having A War Of Words With Your Spouse? Ease The Tension With These Tips
If you and your spouse argue about anything and everything, it can eventually take a toll on your marriage. Although it's normal for couples to disagree on different things, a constant war of words can cause great harm to a relationship. But if you want to save your marriage, you can take steps to end the war with the tips below.
Take Time Out
Stress, anger, and even disappointment can all affect your marriage. But it's how you and your spouse handle these negative problems that can mean the difference between separating and staying together. If your spouse tends to argue with you after a stressful day, take time out and allow your loved one to calm down. A timeout may keep an argument from escalating further.
One of the things you don't want to do is just walk away from your spouse during heated times. Your spouse may see this action as a sign of disrespect. Instead, tell your spouse you need to take a moment to calm down. Reassure your loved one that you want to continue the conversation but only in a more relaxed and calm state.
If your spouse disagrees or continues to argue, take a deep breath and calmly step out of the situation. Return to the conversation when your spouse seems more calm and able to talk respectfully. If your spouse still doesn't see the need to talk things through instead of argue about them, seek a more effective way to end the war of words, including relationship counseling.
Seek Relationship Counseling
Relationship counseling allows both parties in a relationship to express themselves in a neutral environment. But unlike a one-on-one conversation, a counseling mediates the discussion so that one person can't overshadow or put down the other person's views.
The counseling session may give your spouse a chance to voice their concerns in a calmer manner. If the situation escalates into an argument, a counselor will generally give both people a timeout. Once the timeout ends, the session continues.
You and your spouse may both learn to communicate better after relationship counseling. However, it's important to understand that the process may take longer than you expect. Your spouse may not be ready to end the war of words quite yet. But with time, your loved one may learn to communicate without anger.
If you need relationship counseling or intervention, contact a counseling service such as Sharon O'Connell, MA today.