Spring Cleaning for Your Relationship
Posted: March 1, 2016
Spring is an exciting time of year! It stays lighter a little longer, and we finally feel reprieve from the winter blues. With the change in seasons we naturally have a bounce in our step and a surge in motivation to declutter the messiness in our lives. We want to encourage you to not only purge closets or reorganize your home, but take a look at things you can do to clean up your relationships too!
Here are some strategies for spring cleaning your relationships!
- Focus on gratitude: One of the most important ways to boost positivity and connection in your relationship is to express to your partner why you are grateful for them. It is rare that a week goes by in my office that I don’t work with clients on making this a part of their daily lives!
- Reassess your boundaries: Between friends, family, and spouses/significant others always needing something from you, it is a struggle to focus on keeping healthy boundaries. without boundaries, relationships can wreak havoc on our life. Check to see if you are letting any of your boundaries get overly weak and make adjustments as needed. Remember it is appropriate to say “no” to things that make you uncomfortable. The key is to have awareness of what brings you discomfort combined with assertive communication.
- Regain balance: Another thing clients hear from me a lot – to be a great partner you need to take care of yourself! One marker of a great relationship is the ability to be truly autonomous but assume the same level of intimacy upon your return back to your significant other. Pay attention to the voice that tells you whether you are giving too much of yourself and brainstorm ways to incorporate projects that feed your soul into your weeks.
- Clear out your negative self-talk: Relationships truly reflect aspects of ourselves, so working on replacing negative thinking or self criticism with healthy, positive thinking does wonders for our relationships. Take personal responsibility this year to talk back to your inner critic and replace that old chatter with more balanced thinking.
- Recycle the old conversations and begin new ones: When we first start dating we want to know anything and everything about our partners. After the honeymoon stage this usually fades as we assume that we know everything we need to. This spring, challenge yourself to be curious again! Ask your partner new and unique questions to grow your knowledge and update the information you already have. Make a fun rule – commit to a weekly date where you focus only on getting to know each other again. We bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you learn!
To get ahead on your relationship spring cleaning, call us today! Let us help you get back on track and stay on track with tips and techniques to strengthen your most important bond.