If you are looking for communication exercises you can do at home to increase your marriage counseling effectiveness, there are a lot of things you can do to improve your communication at home. Use the tips and exercises we use in counseling sessions below to jump start your marriage restoration.
Do this Daily
1. Share daily appreciations– Spend 5 minutes every day where you share one thing you appreciation about your partner. Both should share one thing as well as why it is appreciated. Make sure to sit face to face, making eye contact. Repeat what your partner says instead of dismissing it and say thank you when you are done listening. This simple exercise can make a huge difference in bringing more positive energy into your relationship.
When Things Are Tense
2. Schedule a conversation– Make an appointment if you want to talk about anything significant or that you are concerned might be a sensitive topic. Ask if it is a good time to talk. If not try to schedule a time within 24 hours to have the conversation. This will help you avoid most fights as you won’t be caught off guard and react instinctively in a defensive posture.
To watch how to COMMUNICATE better with your spouse, with no blame and no shame, take the 5 step Online Couples Communication Course.
3. Structure your conversations– Instead of being a free for all, learn how to have a real dialogue where one person shares and the other listens, only mirroring back without interpretation. This way you will feel truly heard. If you are listening, make sure you validate by letting your spouse know they make sense and empathizing by guessing what they are feeling. This will be a much more productive conversation, an opportunity to learn more about each other, resolve conflict, and reconnect.
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