It’s normal to feel frustrated with your partner from time to time. Hell, we’d even go as far as to say that it’s weird to never feel frustrated with them.
Marriage can be frustrating. When two people live together, coping with bills, mortgages, kids, schedules, in-laws, mouth breathing, weird snacking, and everything in between, one person will inevitably drive the other one a bit nuts.
But frustration can quickly deteriorate into resentment or full-on anger . So, the trick becomes understanding how to deal with frustration in a healthy way.
2. Ask For Their Input
Why? Because how else are you going to get to the root of your frustration? The key is calm. Talk to your partner and ask them to explain the reasoning behind their actions and emotions. Listen and ask questions to try and gain some understanding.
It is important that you choose a good time to ask so you both stay calm,
You may not get the opportunity to describe your part, but knowing what is happening for your partner will help you deal with it better.
4. Take a Big Picture View
It’s important to remember that you and your partner are in it for the long haul. There may be times when one of you needs to put their feelings aside to accommodate the other. It can be difficult, but it is worth it in the end.
Every relationship has times when one partner puts in more. You may need to be the bigger person in this situation. Despite the challenge, it is an investment in the future of the relationship.
Taking a big picture view and focusing on the longevity of your partnership can help you to navigate any bumps you may encounter along the way.
Talk to Your Partner — When You’re Calm
It’s important to wait until both partners are calm before addressing any conflicts. It is not beneficial to address tensions when one or both partners are frustrated or exhausted. If this is happening frequently, it could signify a larger problem in the relationship than the current issue.
1. Put Yourself In Their Shoes
This is age-less advice for a reason. It can be very easy to get so consumed by your own frustration that you’re only able to see how it affects you.
But if you try to take a look at the situation from your partner’s side and ask yourself how you might feel, or how you might react, and chances are you’ll be in a better place.
3. Have a Plan
If you’ve been with someone long enough, you usually can start to tell when things are going badly. When you sense a tense situation beginning to brew, it might be wiser to try and nip the argument in the bud before it gets worse.
Know ahead of time what are the signs and symptoms that your frustration and irritation are growing and what you need to do to manage them.
Calling a timeout and returning to a conversation when you’ve cooled down (and actually re-engaging with it) is always an excellent strategy.
