Humans are social creatures. We depend upon, and communicate with other people in almost every single thing we do. 

Less broadly, in this article we go over some tips and ways to improve your personal relationships, whether they are romantic, familial, or platonic.

Your most or second most important relationship, depending on how religious you are, is the one you have with yourself. Therefore, it is most appropriate to start by going over how you feel and think. Any other relationship is consistently affected by those factors. 

Regarding what you think, consistently reflect on what you want and need out of a specific relationship. Think about how you want to be and want to be seen in your specific relationships. 

Very often, we do things that do not exactly line up with how we truly want to act. For example, one may love their partner deeply, but having been raised in a family where outward profession of that love was not the norm, they might have a hard time vocalizing how they feel. 

When we act in a way that does not align with our personal values and characteristics we feel a sense of discomfort, a concept called the Self-Discrepency Theory. On the other hand, goal-setting can be extremely helpful in mental well-being and the outcomes of what we do. 

So, by always consciously having in mind who we want to be and how we want to be can go a long way in overcoming obstacles like personal discomfort (like the example), momentary laziness, or otherwise whims that can get in the way by aligning our actions with our values and focusing on goals in line with said values.

Relationships have everything to do with how the people involved feel. Emotions can influence our thought processes and decisions. So, being in touch with feelings and emotions is essential to communicating how we feel and what we need.

Sometimes we broadly know how we feel, but not why, or exactly what it is exactly that we feel. More closely knowing your tendencies and emotions about different aspects of your relationship can help navigate said relationships. This helps to avoid conflicts from coming up or to work through them effectively if they do come up.

Try to often reflect on how things make you feel. When do you feel happy or fulfilled in your relationship? When do you feel frustrated? When were do you feel unsure? 

Asking yourself these questions means that over time you are more likely to find patterns between the behaviours and qualities of the other person, in other words, what they do, and your emotions. When you find a pattern that you feel positively about you can effectively communicate what is going well, and vice versa.

Hi there, my name is Peyman Moghimi and I am a recent Psychology (BSc.) graduate from York University. My interests lie in the intersections of religious practice and psychological concepts, as well as learning more about how technology and changes in culture have affected our mental health. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this blogpost! 

Mental Health Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Reading this content does not establish a therapeutic relationship.