Dating communication Do's & Dont's
A very important ingredient to having a superior relationship
lies in good communication. In fact, it is almost impossible to
have any kind of relationship with a person unless you are able
to relate to him or her. The ability to communicate effectively
means that you have to pay close attention and to listen very
carefully. We all have different method of communication. You
need to be able to understand, appreciate, and respect how other
people communicate, especially your dating partner.
A good way to show your date that you are listening carefully to
him or her is to repeat what he or she has said. Say for example
your partner tells you: "You have been very distant lately," you
then say, "So you are saying I have been distant?" Follow up
with an open ended question like "Tell me more about what you
mean." By saying that, you can verify what your spouse has said
and make him or her feel comfortable about talking to you about
his or her concern.
How you communicate with your words could bring comfort by
reducing fear and easing tension. The following are some guiding
principles to help you take advantage of your words and get your
point across more effectively:
Do make the person you are talking to feel secure by offering a
lot of support and appreciation. This gets the silent types to
open up more and feel at ease.
Don't make your date feel uncomfortable by judging, criticizing,
or making fun of what he or she has to say.
Do relax. Feeling anxious can mess up your confidence and
attention. Take deep breathes when you feel like you need to end
the conversation because of fear or panic.
Don't feel that everything has to be resolved at one time.
Do listen carefully and avoid interrupting while the other
person is talking.
Don't use offensive vocabularies and expressions. It is very
disrespectful and cheapens you and the person you are talking
to.
Do get to the point and be clear on what you want to get across
or if you have any questions.