Strategies for Dealing with a Relationship Crisis
Conflicting viewpoints, habits, behaviors, and routines can affect a couple. Over time, your relationship can end up in a crisis. If you’re in the middle of a relationship crisis, you need to learn some strategies to deal with it.
Knowing how to act and trying to make sure that positive interactions outweigh the negative ones is key to keeping both partners happy. At the end of the day, your partner should add happiness to your life, not take it away. To that end, in this article, we’ll discuss some warning signs of an impending relationship crisis and some tips on how to get through it.
Warning signs in romantic relationships
Keeping an unhappy relationship going is physically and mentally exhausting. Being consistently upset and uncomfortable in your relationship causes long-term stress and makes you more irritable, vulnerable, and tense. But how do you know if your relationship is just experiencing a crisis or is actually really coming to an end?
Most people are more or less capable of identifying when their relationship isn’t going well. However, certain behaviors, like constant complaining and criticizing, are definite signs that you need to take action. Some, like contempt and defensiveness, are even more obvious. Depending on the circumstances, however, you might not notice this in your own relationship. That’s why it’s important to pay attention and not take things for granted.
Solving issues right away is much better for the relationship than letting anger and frustration build up over time. If you don’t address your problems, things will only get more complicated in the long-term.
Dealing with a relationship crisis
Sometimes it’s not a question of being capable of dealing with a relationship crisis, but whether or not you think it’s possible. For example, when things are going really bad, you might not be capable of finding a solution, so you decide to end your relationship. Maybe some of the following situations resonate with you:
- Your problems seem too serious to solve.
- It seems like talking about your issues isn’t helping at all.
- Both partners live their own separate lives.
- One or both partners feels alone.
- There’s a third person in the picture that’s putting the relationship in danger.
These situations are more common than you might think. So, if you’re going through something like this, remember that it isn’t because there’s something wrong with you or your relationship. The important thing is for both parties to be willing to fight for the relationship and have the desire, patience, and willingness to do it. Next, we’ll discuss some strategies to help you deal with these scenarios.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
-Maya Angelou-
Four keys to dealing with a relationship crisis
1. Make more good moments
Some studies posit that a happy couple tends to have five positive interactions for each negative one. So, if you notice that you and your partner have more problems than good times, your job is to flip those numbers. To make it happen, you have to remember that you and your partner are in the same boat. You’re allies, not enemies.
Going on a nice date, having mutually satisfying sex, taking a trip together… There are many ways to make new, positive memories.
2. Talking and listening
Talking is always good for a relationship. Sharing your daily worries and joys with each other is key. That being said, there are good and bad ways to communicate. Active listening is very important. You have to show interest and focus on what your partner is saying and vice-versa. The point is to have an authentic and sincere exchange with each other where both of you feel emotionally connected.
3. Celebrations
Celebrations are wonderful ways to make things feel joyful and positive. If you notice that your relationship finally overcame a rough patch and is on the road to happiness, why not celebrate? You both deserve it for the time and effort you put into the relationship. You can do something that you both enjoy, like going on a special trip or a romantic date, or just stay home and relax.
4. Making decisions together can help you deal with your relationship crisis
A clear sign that things aren’t going well in a relationship is when both partners have their own lives and make individual decisions. Thus, to deal with a relationship crisis, it’s important to focus on trying to make decisions as a team. That will make it easier for you to trust each other and stick to the same path.
“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery-
As you can see, although solving a relationship crisis requires time and effort, it is possible. If you and your partner want to be together, you’ll make it work. You can start by trying out these strategies. However, if they don’t work, you might want to try seeing a couples therapist.
