Maintenance for Your Relationship
On me & my dear's anniversary, I've decided to share an article on maintaining a r/s with my dear readers. (^^.)
Many of us tend to take better care of material possessions than we do of one of the more important aspects of life - relationships.
We can remember when to service our car, our home air-con, when to change our home curtains, but what maintenance do we do on our relationships?
Relationships affect our happiness and influence our productivity at work. Strong personal relationships are the foundations for stability and concentration at work. Imagine if you have frequent disagreements with your partner, you will not be able to have a good rest at home, and this affects your concentration and productivity at work.
Standard Checkup
Purpose : Ensure that engine runs smoothly
Leave your kids/dog/cat at home, switch off your mobile phone, forget about your friends. Choose a venue where you can pay exclusive attention to each other. This could be an elegant dining spot, a quiet nature spot, or any activity that the both of you enjoy.
Rotate Tyres
Purpose : Keep things from getting too worn
Don't keep doing things out of habit. Change routines. Go different places. Don't watch TV. Go to different places. Hubby can whip up a meal for wifey, and wifey can wash the car for hubby.
Change Air Filter
Purpose : Ventilate to ensure fresh air
Don't get too bogged down by things that both of you have to do. Make time for personal space. Find time to do something that you like - have a massage, meditate, go for yoga, read your favourite novel.
Check Brake Fluid
Purpose : Make sure you can stop
Learn to prevent things from getting out of hand. One of the most important tools is the ability to resolve issues productively and eliminate destructive arguments.
One of the most important keys is the ability to stop before a discussion descends into an argument, then a fight, and culminating in a free-for-all. Agree to stop - recognise that time-outs, walking away are acceptable 'fight stoppers' and both should respect these signals.
But ensure that this is just a cooling period and once the emotional heat is turned down, both should get back to calming discussing the issues.
Audio System Checkup
Purpose : Ensure clear and effective communication
Set aside time to talk about issues, especially serious ones. And listen to each other. Don't just talk. It is more important to listen and reflect than just to make yourself heard.
Balancing
Purpose : Ensure a smooth ride
Dependency can kill a good relationship. It is almost impossible for partners to fulfill all the needs of each other. So, balance is important. Have your own circle of friends, maintain interaction with your family - these will widen your social circle and keep your relationship in balance.
Steering
Purpose : Ensure you are under control
One of the more common control issues is money. Sit down and have a clear mutual understanding about your financial situation and priorities.
Relationships require attention. They can't survive by default. Besides, unlike cars, they don't come with a warranty.
Many of us tend to take better care of material possessions than we do of one of the more important aspects of life - relationships.
We can remember when to service our car, our home air-con, when to change our home curtains, but what maintenance do we do on our relationships?
Relationships affect our happiness and influence our productivity at work. Strong personal relationships are the foundations for stability and concentration at work. Imagine if you have frequent disagreements with your partner, you will not be able to have a good rest at home, and this affects your concentration and productivity at work.
Standard Checkup
Purpose : Ensure that engine runs smoothly
Leave your kids/dog/cat at home, switch off your mobile phone, forget about your friends. Choose a venue where you can pay exclusive attention to each other. This could be an elegant dining spot, a quiet nature spot, or any activity that the both of you enjoy.
Rotate Tyres
Purpose : Keep things from getting too worn
Don't keep doing things out of habit. Change routines. Go different places. Don't watch TV. Go to different places. Hubby can whip up a meal for wifey, and wifey can wash the car for hubby.
Change Air Filter
Purpose : Ventilate to ensure fresh air
Don't get too bogged down by things that both of you have to do. Make time for personal space. Find time to do something that you like - have a massage, meditate, go for yoga, read your favourite novel.
Check Brake Fluid
Purpose : Make sure you can stop
Learn to prevent things from getting out of hand. One of the most important tools is the ability to resolve issues productively and eliminate destructive arguments.
One of the most important keys is the ability to stop before a discussion descends into an argument, then a fight, and culminating in a free-for-all. Agree to stop - recognise that time-outs, walking away are acceptable 'fight stoppers' and both should respect these signals.
But ensure that this is just a cooling period and once the emotional heat is turned down, both should get back to calming discussing the issues.
Audio System Checkup
Purpose : Ensure clear and effective communication
Set aside time to talk about issues, especially serious ones. And listen to each other. Don't just talk. It is more important to listen and reflect than just to make yourself heard.
Balancing
Purpose : Ensure a smooth ride
Dependency can kill a good relationship. It is almost impossible for partners to fulfill all the needs of each other. So, balance is important. Have your own circle of friends, maintain interaction with your family - these will widen your social circle and keep your relationship in balance.
Steering
Purpose : Ensure you are under control
One of the more common control issues is money. Sit down and have a clear mutual understanding about your financial situation and priorities.
Relationships require attention. They can't survive by default. Besides, unlike cars, they don't come with a warranty.
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