If you’re happy in your relationship then talking about the future is only natural, whether it’s taking your relationship to the next level and making it official, moving in together, or getting married, knowing when the time is right can be tricky. So how can you communicate with your partner effectively about relationship progression?
With this in mind, www.lovehoney.co.uk has partnered with sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight to reveal tips on how to talk to your partner about taking your relationship to the next stage and how to know when it’s the right time to progress in your relationship.
Here, Annabelle Knight shares 5 tips on how to take the next steps in your relationship.
Before you even sit down with your partner to have these types of conversations, it’s a good idea to settle on some ground rules. That way, no matter which direction the conversation goes, you can be sure that you’re communicating in the best way possible.
- Firstly, dismiss the idea of right and wrong: When you’re talking to your partner about progressing your relationship to the next level it’s important to remove any notion of ‘winning.’ This is a conversation not with one partner pitted against the other, but rather two people side by side against the world.
- Keep your focus: If the conversation begins to spiral or evolve to be about something completely different then agree to take a step back and get back on track.
- Learn to listen: More often than not we spend time during deep conversations waiting for our partner to finish their sentence, so we can start ours. This prevents us from really hearing what your other half is trying to say. So, for any important conversations make sure you tune into their words so you can really hear their meaning.
- Process properly: After you’ve both said your piece take some time out to process what’s been said, how it’s made you feel and what you want to do about it.
- Seek clarity: Don’t be afraid to ask your partner to repeat any points you don’t understand. Moving forward in any relationship relies heavily on understanding your partner, this goes for what they mean when they speak, as well as who they are as a person.
How do you know when it is the right time to progress in a relationship?
Whether it’s taking your relationship to the next level and making it official, moving in together, or getting married, knowing when the time is right can be tricky. The answer to these questions largely lies in not only how you feel about one another, but also your visions for the future – not just for what you want to achieve as an individual, but for what you want for your relationship as well.
Having an open and honest dialogue with your partner about these things is absolutely your best bet, however, this isn’t always how things pan out in real life. We might be fearful of rejection so hold our feelings in, we may be worried about rushing our partner so slow things down, or it could be that we keep meaning to have that chat… but life just keeps getting in the way.
Knowing when the right time to progress in your relationship can be difficult, but, if you take into consideration the following points you may have an answer for yourself.
- Trust: Trust is a key component of any happy and healthy relationship. It’s also something that isn’t earned overnight. If you and your partner can, hand on heart, say that you trust one another then it may be time to progress your relationship.
- Intimacy: Make sure you and your partner are on the same page when it comes to how often you’re intimate and what levels of affection you need from your partner.
- Security: Nope, I’m not talking about burglar alarms, I’m talking about how safe and secure you feel with your partner.
- Support: Supporting your partner and knowing that they in turn support you is one of the cornerstones of a long-lasting and meaningful partnership.
If you can wholeheartedly tick these things off, and know that your partner can do the same, then maybe it’s time to speak to them about taking your relationship to the next level.
