Stop the deterioration of your relationship before it starts by avoiding miscommunication and unnecessary arguments. Read theses tips and implement them in any relationship:
Admit when you are wrong. You can't be right all the time, no one can, and admitting when you have made a mistake will prevent frustration in your relationships.
Apologize. At one point or another, you will need to say you are sorry. Even if your mistake seems small to you, it may not be so to your partner. Apologizing is an important first step in solving a problem in order to cultivate a healthy relationship.
Make the conversation two-sided. When you claim to understand your partner's needs and wants better than they can, you shut them out of the conversation. Be considerate of the fact that you do not know your partner better than they know themselves, and allow them to tell you how they are feeling.
Give your partner a chance to speak. When you assume, the truth can get lost. By allowing the other person to explain themselves, you will avoid unnecessary communication flaws in the conversation.
Be humble. When the conversation is over, let it go, and don't go back. The basis of a relationship is not about who is right and who is wrong. What is most important is a mutual happiness between the two of you.
Put the other person first. Your needs and your partner's needs are both important, but try to focus on your partner's needs before your own. You'll find your own needs will be fulfilled too.
Be patient. When you interrupt, you are sending the message that your words are more important that your partner's. You will also miss out on what your partner has to say.
When you make a promise, be sure you can keep it. You work in a team with your partner, so make sure you're pulling your weight. When someone is counting on you, follow through. You expect that you can count on your partner, so be consistent for them too. This will allow you both to have realistic expectations of each other.
Source: Cucan Pemo. Photo credit: taliesin.
