Opening Communications and Managing Expectations

You know the expression, "communication is key," right? Well, it does not only apply to romantic relationships, it can apply to any relationship- friends, coworkers, romantic partners, family, etc. Learning how to communicate openly, honestly, and effectively will change the way you interact in your relationships.

The first question you need to answer is how do you currently communicate? Do you prefer to talk in person, over the phone, over text, or do you not have a preference? Identifying how you communicate best will help your conversations be more effective. You need to feel comfortable enough to be direct with what you want.

It is important to express what you need in a relationship. Processing your emotions and turning them into thoughts will help you decide what you need. From explaining how you communicate to what you are wanting, you have to remember that people cannot read your mind. They often do not know what exactly it is that you want unless you are direct with them. People oftentimes think that everyone has the answers- which is rarely the case. If a conversation does not go how you would like the first time, don't hesitate to try a different approach.

One of my favorite things I have learned about communicating was learning the phrase, "do you want a solution or do you want to vent?" This helps both the person talking and the person listening because it establishes what the end result of the conversation should be. If you are talking to someone and you want them to help you with a solution but you do not tell them that, they might think you are just looking to vent and vice versa. 

It helps to consider the timing of conversations as well. If you're talking to someone when they are tired or have had a long day, they might not be able to help you as much as you would like them to at this time. This works on the other end of it too, if you know you are too tired to have a certain conversation, you need to be honest and let them know. Try saying something such as, "I don't have the capacity to have this conversation right now, could we talk about this tomorrow?" 

There are so many ways to open your communication within relationships and to manage your expectations. You have to figure out what you want before you can tell someone what you need. Try taking a few minutes to think about how you communicate best and what you need from others to be successful in your relationships.