Healthy Communication: Being Understanding and Understood

Can you pinpoint the most essential parts of good communication for us?

Communication breakdowns are one of the biggest sources of conflict in marriage relationships. Often, these issues come as a result of a misunderstanding between spouses.

What most people don’t realize, though, is that misunderstandings are most likely to happen when a husband or wife doesn’t feel emotionally safe.

Emotional safety comes when spouses feel that they don’t have to edit their words or walk on eggshells around one another in order to convey their messages. When husbands and wives feel that they understand one another and can likewise be understood when they communicate, they aren’t as likely to have frequent communication meltdowns.

When we don’t feel emotionally safe, we’re more likely to withdraw in order to protect ourselves. We may become defensive or lash out at our spouse in an unnecessary self-preservation attempt.

This results in a never-ending downward spiral into poor communication and equally poor emotional safety for both spouses.

In today’s video, we discuss the importance of emotional safety to healthy communication in our marriages.

So how do you get emotionally safe in your marriage?

Pinpoint the things that make you feel afraid. Are you worried about time or your schedule? Are you afraid of your spouse’s disapproval? What other “fear factors” could be holding you back from feeling safe?

Our book Love Talk contains exercises and information to help you and your husband or wife pinpoint your fear factors and identify the parts of your communication that may be hindering emotional safety in your relationship. Its companion devotional book will also inspire you to communicate more deeply and effectively with one another.

What are your communication fear factors? How did you identify them to overcome communication barriers and find emotional safety? Please share with us in the comments.

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