(866) 588-2795 | contact@drteresalsmith.com

Dr. Teresa Smith

My WordPress Blog

by Leave a Comment

Nurturing Positive Relationships With Immediate Family Members

Do you struggle to maintain a positive relationship with your father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, or child? If so, you’re not alone. Oftentimes, the people closest to us are the ones who know how to push our buttons the most. And conversely, we tend to show the worst sides of ourselves to the individuals we feel most comfortable around.

While building healthy relationships with immediate family members can be difficult, it’s not impossible. Here are some tips for how to nurture positive family relationships:

  • Keep up with each other’s lives. Learning about your loved ones’ work or school duties, friendships, and interests can go a long way toward helping you feel closer to them and ensuring that they feel like you care. The next time you have dinner together, be sure to put down your phones, listen, and ask follow-up questions.
  • Start a new tradition. Rituals can help families feel more stable and connected. Start having a weekly pizza or board game night, or begin planning regular getaways (you could even have your family members take turns choosing the destination!).
  • Get moving. Studies show that exercise can be a great stress reliever, so if you think that stress might be contributing to tension within your family unit, you may want to consider incorporating more movement into your daily routine. Go on after-dinner walks or bike rides together, plan weekend hikes, or invest in a volleyball net for the backyard. Even if you’re not feeling stressed, working out with your family is a great way to improve your health while spending quality time together.

Looking to Build Positive Family Relationships?

If you’re hoping to foster healthy relationships with immediate family members, we can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We’ll be happy to tell you more about our practice and answer any questions you might have.

by Leave a Comment

How to Manage Working from Home with Your Partner

More and more people are opting to work from home. While this has its advantages, it definitely has its challenges as well. Particularly when your partner also works from home.

The following are some tips to help you and your partner share a successful and harmonious dwelling while both working remotely:

Give Each Other Space

You might be tempted to spend every moment together now that you are both home all day. While some couples may be able to pull this off, it’s generally not a good idea to be on top of each other during your work day. For instance, if you partner is at the dining room table on their laptop, it might be a good idea for you to retreat to a spare bedroom with yours. It’s easier for most people to focus and get important work done when they have space and privacy.

Respect Each Other’s Timetable

Remote work often means you can set your own schedule. You may want to get up early and get right to work, while your partner may get more accomplished in the evening hours. As long as you both contribute to household and family chores, be sure to give each other permission to work at the times that suit you best.

Have Open and Clear Communication

There’s a very good chance that neither of you are mind readers. It’s for this reason that you’ve got to be clear about your needs. For instance, if you have an important Zoom call in the afternoon, be sure to let your partner know that you will need quiet and not to be interrupted between such-and-such hours. You might want to consider getting a dry erase board so you both can share any important information from day-to-day.

It won’t necessarily be easy, and it may take some getting used to… but with some consideration for each other’s needs, working from home together may turn out to be a very enjoyable experience!

SOURCES:

https://www.gq.com/story/we-can-work-from-home

https://remote.co/couples-who-both-work-from-home/

https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-avoid-killing-your-partner-when-you-both-work-from-home-6fb3506f996

by Leave a Comment

Conflict Resolution Strategies for Couples

Conflict is natural, and every couple will experience it at some point in their relationship. The difference between a couple who can navigate this conflict and those who allow conflict to break their bond comes down to proven conflict resolution strategies.

The following are highly effective strategies every couple can use to get to the other side of a conflict in a loving and respectful way:

Create a Safe Space

When an argument begins, how many of us go into it with the intent of “winning” or proving the other person wrong? Having this intention is a recipe for disaster and resentment.

To resolve conflict, you and your partner need to establish respectful rules. These can include:

  • No yelling
  • No name-calling
  • No physical aggression
  • No foul language
  • No blaming or shaming

Without a safe space to interact, no real communication can take place.

Validate the Other Person’s Feelings

Resolving conflict requires validation of both partners’ feelings. When you place blame on the other or state that they are somehow wrong, they will feel unheard and misunderstood. And arguing from this place will never lead to resolution of the original conflict.

Acknowledge your partner’s feelings. Listen fully when they speak. Make eye contact (stay off your phone!). Nod while they are speaking. Thank them for sharing their thoughts and feelings with you.

You will be amazed at how much different things go when you validate your partner.

Find the Middle-Ground

Conflict resolution ultimately relies on both of you being able to come to a compromise. Look for ways to find that balance between what the both of you want and what you are comfortable with.

Get Help

Depending on the root cause of the conflict, professional counseling may be warranted. A couple most likely can navigate an argument that stems from someone not doing their fair share of chores. But a conflict that is rooted in, say, financial trouble or an infidelity, may warrant professional help.

If you and your partner seem to be unable to resolve your conflicts on your own and would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me. I would be more than happy to discuss how therapy can help.

SOURCES:

7 Tips for Handling Conflict In Your Relationship

https://psychcentral.com/relationships/conflict-resolution-in-relationships

https://positivepsychology.com/conflict-resolution-relationships/

by Leave a Comment

3 Ways to Improve Communication in Relationships

The number one ingredient to any healthy and stable relationship is good communication. When communication is poor, relationships break down.

Whether they are platonic, romantic or revolve around business, your relationships will thrive if you improve your communication with others. Here’s how:

Be Fully Present

Trust and respect must be earned by both parties. And this requires giving each other your full attention. Keep distractions like cell phones out of the conversation. Make eye contact and fully listen to what the other person is saying and how they are saying it.

Use “I” Statements

One of the biggest things that make a person tune out during a conversation is when they are told they are doing something wrong. YOU do this or YOU do that is not the best way to get your feelings across.

Try using more “I” statements. These statements focus on your feelings without casting blame on the other person.

So as an example, instead of saying, “You’re always late!” You can instead say, “I worry when you haven’t shown up and I haven’t heard from you.”

See the difference?

Avoid Negative Communication Patterns

Poor communication is typically the result of negative communication patterns. These include things like passive aggressiveness, ignoring the other person when they are speaking, and yelling.

While you may not be able to change your own negative communication patterns overnight, you can commit to becoming more aware of them and when they happen, stop the pattern and change it.

These are just some of the ways you can improve your communication with others. You may also want to seek the guidance of a couples’ therapist who can offer you even more strategies and a safe space to share your feelings.

If you’d like to explore counseling, please reach out to me. I’d love to help you reconnect with your partner.

SOURCES:

https://positivepsychology.com/communication-in-relationships/

https://www.verywellmind.com/communication-in-relationships-why-it-matters-and-how-to-improve-5218269

https://us.calmerry.com/blog/relationships/9-ways-to-improve-communication-in-your-relationship/

Client Portal

Click Here To Login

Connect with me

Contact Information

(866) 588-2795
contact@drteresalsmith.com