Are you curious about the relationship dynamics between you and your partner? Do you feel like there’s an imbalance when it comes to your and your partner’s investment? In any relationship, both parties have a duty to uphold. There’s a give-and-take that you have to actively attend to if you want to create a happy, successful relationship.
So, where is your place in your relationship? Where do you stand? Take some time to consider your position. Are you always the one to open up a tough conversation? Or do you tend to take the back seat and just go with the flow?
Knowing where you stand in your relationship is necessary to ensure that you’re part of a thriving connection. Relational awareness enables you to contribute equally. If either partner feels they’re doing all the heavy lifting, it’ll cause relationship problems or even a devastating breakup.
That’s why understanding relationship dynamics is critical! In this article, we’ll show you eleven key pointers to know where you stand and add valuable wisdom along the way.
Once you understand and stick to these 11 key points, you won’t have to worry about having to regain trust in a relationship ever again.
1. Learn to Communicate Effectively
You simply can’t overlook the power of effective communication. Throughout nearly all of the remaining tips, excellent communication is key. Knowing how to properly explain yourself and how to speak with respect will make or break a relationship. It’ll help you get to the bottom of your relationship dynamics.
Once you nail effective communication, you can apply it to literally any relationship you can think of.
When you’re working through relationship dynamics, consider what your communication style is. At the same time, consider that of your partner. You’ll need to work together to ensure that your unique communication styles, whether they’re heavy in speech or writing, can mesh. You need to be able to clearly understand each other.
Speaking of clear understanding, you need to work hard to listen to your partner. Their side of the story holds weight, and you can use a tool called active listening to understand their POV. This is tough, especially when you’re on completely opposite sides of the fence! But with practice and patience, you can nail it.
2. Don’t Take Things Too Personally
While assessing your relationship dynamics, you have to look for patterns. One of those harmful patterns could actually be that you’re taking things way too personally. Let’s say your partner does something you don’t like or something that simply annoys you. Do you immediately assume they’re doing it to somehow punish you?
Do you take it as a passive-aggressive display of animosity? Well, that’s exactly what we mean by taking things too personally, and it can seriously throw your relationship dynamics out of whack.
Of course, don’t start ignoring potentially harmful behavior altogether. Your partner shouldn’t treat you poorly; nobody’s arguing against that point. This tip is meant to make you aware of those times when you’re assuming too much.
You’re reading too far into a situation. And when you read the next tip, it’ll help you truly understand your partner’s behaviors and see things from their perspective.
3. Communicate Openly and Honestly
You’re here because you want a healthy, balanced relationship, right? So, you have to learn to put everything on the table. Communication should not only be clear; it must be honest and transparent.
If you and your partner want to even out your dynamics, you’ll both need to honestly share your thoughts, feelings, and needs. If you don’t, how will you know what the other is thinking?
Healthy relationship dynamics consist of honest communication flowing both ways. Consider the idea of active listening from above. You have to work to understand what your partner’s saying. It’s best to understand them before listing off your own feelings and thoughts.
If you can’t speak freely and listen attentively, healthy relational qualities like trust and equality will be lost.
4. Be Willing to Compromise
Ah, compromise. It seems like a simple and well-known idea, but it’s tough in practice. Even so, you and your partner must understand this concept when examining your relationship dynamics. Look at the way you handle conflicts.
If you tend to brush them off and remain separated on issues, it’ll be exhausting to make the relationship work.
Compromise is all about the middle ground. In a relationship, you must realize that both parties can’t be stubborn and unchanging. Shift those concrete viewpoints and actively listen to one another.
Brainstorm on how to come together in light of conflicts. In this way, compromises are born. Learning to compromise will ultimately create an equal relationship dynamic.
5. Be Supportive
You may not be playing in sports leagues together, but you and your partner are a team! Teams support each other. As you examine your relationship dynamic, do you notice that one party seems to always be the cheerleader while the other never applauds? This imbalance will hurt your bond in the long run.
The two of you must support each other through thick and thin. Do you see your partner veering off the path? If so, speak up and offer some supportive help. At the same time, be open to hearing advice and supportive messages from your partner. When each party is supportive, the dynamic becomes more balanced and enduring.
6. Don’t Try to Change Each Other
One negative relationship pattern is when one partner tries tirelessly to change the other. In healthy relationships, you shouldn’t try to force your partner to change. This may be as small as changing what brand of socks they wear to something huge like a career shift. It even applies to personality, behavior, and opinions.
In a healthy relationship dynamic, neither party imposes their desires on the other, and neither expects to morph their partner. If you can’t accept your partner for who they are, you’re setting your relationship up for trouble or failure.
Don’t force change, and don’t put up with a partner who’s trying to force you to change. These are boundaries, which we’ll discuss in the next tip.
7. Respect Boundaries
Mutual respect is a huge theme in healthy relationship dynamics, no matter what the nature of the relationship is. Individuals have different sets of needs and restrictions. All of these concepts should be on the table so you can develop healthy, supportive boundaries.
If your boundaries are misaligned or simply not discussed, you may start noticing behavior patterns that just don’t work for you or your partner. Talk to each other and figure out what areas need boundaries. It’ll save a lot of miscommunication and help create a healthy relationship dynamic.
8. Be Patient
Relating with your partner requires patience, and it’s no easy feat. All of the tips on this become easier when you learn to use patience. It takes time to learn active listening, create compromises, and build boundaries.
But when you approach your relationship dynamic with patience, you have a better chance of nurturing a long-lasting relationship.
So, take the time and effort to develop! Savor the journey and celebrate your and your partner’s success along the way. All of these behaviors will help you understand and nourish your relationship.
9. Accept Each Other’s Flaws
Are you pushing your partner to accept your flaws while not even accepting theirs? Or perhaps you don’t accept your own flaws or your partners. If the “acceptance” scale is tipped in either direction, your relationship dynamic is out of whack.
Nobody’s perfect, and we all have to accept that fact. It’s especially important to accept it in relationships. One of the best things you can do for your relationship is to love your partner for their flaws just as much as you love them for their strengths.
10. Be Honest
As mentioned, you want your communication to be transparent. But let’s take this concept a step further by introducing total honesty. In a healthy relationship dynamic, you and your partner can freely share information with each other, including tough-to-swallow thoughts and feelings.
The more honest you are, the more you’ll trust each other. Honesty is the most solid foundation you can hope to build your relationship on, and it goes a long way. Don’t hold back from your partner, and don’t make them feel like they need to, either. Remember, honesty’s the best policy!
11. Don’t Take Each Other for Granted
The dynamic of taking your partner for granted is a dismal one, Sadly, it’s all too common. Usually, this relationship dynamic stems from one partner falling into a deep level of comfortability. That sounds appealing, but it can quickly turn into a trap.
If one partner starts skimping on doing things that make their partner feel adored and appreciated, it’ll cause problems. The partner who loses those behaviors they’ve grown to love may start feeling resentful.
Over time, this can completely decay all the hard work you’ve previously put into the relationship. It’s not easy, but focusing on making your partner feel special will be well worth it!
Whether you’re in your first relationship, or this is not your first rodeo, using these tips can strengthen and improve your relationship and your life.
