Healthy communication is vital for a healthy relationship. Being someone who experiences frequent mood swings, I frequently found myself taking out my emotions on my partners. Although I recognized that my actions were unfair, I had a difficult time masking the way I felt, even though my feelings were independent of my relationship. After spending two years being single and analyzing my previous behavior within my relationships, I picked up a few pointers on how to appropriately communicate when I am not feeling my best.
- Talk to them about your mental health.
Mental health struggles are not abnormal, nor do they make you undeserving of being loved. Telling your partner about your emotional well-being is a great way of building a connection as well as providing reasons for why you feel the way you do. Let them know that sometimes your mood shifts abruptly and it does not mean they are at fault.
- Take time alone.
As someone who doesn’t like receiving advice when they are upset or talking through how they feel, being alone to go over my feelings works best for me. Whenever I know my mood will negatively impact the way I speak with my girlfriend, I simply let her know I am not feeling alright and need to take a little time to recuperate.
- Talk it Out.
Although I personally prefer to be alone when I am not feeling my best, it’s also reasonable to want to talk out how you’re feeling. Tell your partner what thoughts are occupying your mind and maybe even ask for advice. Being with someone you trust to talk to and take advice from is important. Be sure to use “I” statements and not withhold anything you believe is important to share. Open and comfortable communication is key to a successful relationship.