Relationships require a lot of work to keep them afloat. People don’t naturally drop their guard, open themselves up, and be vulnerable. Those are hard things to do. But if you’re in a relationship, and you find yourself in some sort of conflict or challenge, you have to remember that the other person is not your enemy. Even people you’d never choose to be with are still people you love, and your relationship shouldn’t be about winning and losing. It should be about growth and striving for better.
If you feel you can’t talk to your partner about anything, that’s a sign of a problem. If you feel angry or judgmental, that’s a problem. If you feel hurt or anxious, that’s a problem. If it feels like your partner doesn’t care, that’s a problem. It’s virtually impossible to have a healthy relationship if you’re constantly at war with each other. A relationship takes compromise, empathy, and compassion, and if you’re consistently resisting or rejecting your partner’s needs, it will never work.
Dealing with common relationship problems
When it comes to relationships, arguing and fighting, are normal, especially when one or both parties of a couple are under stress. But resolving relationship problems requires effort and communication.
Recognise each relationship problem as a separate scenario and deal with them accordingly. When in the honeymoon stage, go easy on each other and be understanding of each other’s flaws. If both of you are in the mood for a fight, don’t blame each other, but just let it out. Below are the most common problems in a relationship and how you can go about managing them:
- TRUST: Trust is the foundation for relationships. If you trust your partner, everything will flow more easily. Cheating can ruin a relationship, especially if it is someone you love. Everyone has weaknesses, and everyone has insecurities. And, sadly, some will be unable to control their impulses and will cheat on the one they love. Should this happen, but you don’t want to lose your partner, you will need to learn to trust your partner again. Trust is at the core of any relationship. Sometimes, trust isn’t given; it is earned. And it’s important to realise that trust can be lost while it is earned. But trust is the foundation of all healthy relationships and, once it goes, it can very rarely be regained.
- MONEY: Relationship problems can stem from many sources, including money, which is itself a huge source of conflict. But, if you are in a stressful scenario because of money, the best advice is to try your best to get control of your finances, and seek support from a financial professional, should you need it. It’s important to keep your finances separate from your relationship because doing so can make it much easier to deal with any sort of conflict arising from money.
- COMMUNICATION: Communication is one of the most important aspects of a relationship. Without good communication skills, couples can easily become disconnected, leading to disagreements, hurt feelings, and resentment rather than forgiveness and reconciliation. Therefore, couples should be open and honest with each other in order to foster trust and a good connection.
- SEX & INTIMACY: Overall, intimacy is a beautiful thing and another component of most healthy relationships. However, not everyone is comfortable being intimate, and that’s completely OK! Understanding and appreciating this, and learning how to compromise, is the key to keeping a relationship strong. Of course, intimacy problems can be due to things like performance issues. Should this be the case, a medical professional will be able to advise on how to overcome this.
- ARGUMENTS: Arguments are an unavoidable part of life, especially when you are spending a large part of your days with the same person. Once an argument begins, it’s often best that you let it run its course until it comes to a natural end, and then make sure to make up once the tension has dissolved. Hopefully, you’ll forget what the arguing or ranting was about in the first place!
How to Overcome common relationship problems?
When you and your partner encounter problems, like when they make a mistake, don’t assume your partner is wholly guilty and stay patient. If the problem is true, he or she will be cooperative. If the problem is false, he or she will be honest. So, if you want to stay in the relationship, don’t be too demanding or sensitive. Instead, try to solve the problems through discussion and communication.
Staying close to your partner is one of the simplest yet most overlooked ways to deal with common relationship problems. Staying close can prevent problems from starting in the first place. It can keep things light and fun and serve as a reassuring constant, even in the midst of busy work schedules and daily chaos. You should also make sure to recognise that the other person has influenced your life for the better and that they know the positive impact they have on your life.
Relationships take time, patience, and understanding. Successful relationships are built on mutual trust, respect, and communication. Every couple will face disagreements and problems, but successful couples find ways to make their relationships even stronger.