Relationships Archives

How to Get Past Small Talk: 3 Tips From a Social Interaction Expert

Do you ever get stuck in the shallow pool of small talk? Would you like to learn how to take conversations into deeper territory? Small talk is an excellent way to start a conversation. But, if it stays there, the conversation can feel shallow and pointless. Social interaction specialist Patrick King shares some practical tips for transitioning from small talk to meaningful conversation. Read more to learn how to get past small talk and make the most of your interactions.

How to Stop Monopolizing Conversations (and Stop Others, Too)

Are you a conversation monopolizer? Or, do you fall victim to this and hardly get a word in edgewise? One-sided conversations aren’t really conversations; they’re monologues. Good conversationalists give each other space to talk. This requires both skill and thoughtfulness. Social interaction specialist Patrick King shows you how to cultivate these traits in his book Better Small Talk. Continue reading to learn how to stop monopolizing conversations and keep others from doing the same.

Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud: Book Overview

What is Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud about? Are you ready to put the past behind you? If you’ve ever struggled to leave a lousy job or a toxic relationship, psychologist Henry Cloud has advice for you. In Necessary Endings, Henry Cloud argues that pulling out of a bad situation is often the best way to move forward with your life. Read below for a brief overview of Necessary Endings.

Insecure Attachment in Relationships: Tips to Get You on Track

What are the primary attachment styles? How can insecure attachment in relationships be managed? One essential element of maintaining a happy relationship is to understand both your needs and your partner’s. Specifically, relationship experts recommend understanding your attachment styles and using strategies to maintain secure attachment and negate the effects of insecure attachment. Continue reading to learn about attachment styles in romantic relationships and ways to move toward relationship health.

How to Know Your Partner’s Love Language (and Speak It)

What love language does your partner primarily speak? How can you tell when you’ve identified it correctly? If you want to build and maintain a healthy relationship, you must understand your own needs and your partner’s needs. One way to do this is to understand the various love languages, identify which ones you and your partner speak the most, and then communicate accordingly. Read more to learn Gary Chapman’s advice on how to know your partner’s love language and use it well.

New Beginnings in Life: 3 Ways to Accept Endings

Why should you learn to accept endings? What are ways to welcome new beginnings in life? According to Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud, endings are an inevitable and often beneficial part of life. For new, healthy patterns to begin, old patterns must end. Let’s take a look at the mindset you need to be in to accept that these new beginnings aren’t a bad thing.

How to Compliment People: Make Them Feel Validated & Seen

What kind of compliments do you appreciate most? How can you compliment others in a way that’s received especially well? Some compliments feel better than others. That’s because they come in different categories. Social interaction expert Patrick King draws vital distinctions among categories of compliments and shows why some go a lot further than others when it comes to making people feel validated, seen, and appreciated. Keep reading for King’s advice on how to compliment people in meaningful ways.

2 Simple Ways to Maintain Physical Intimacy in a Relationship

Should you and your partner talk about sex? If so, when and how? What are some ways to communicate without words? Sharing physical intimacy in a relationship is a major way to maintain your and your partner’s happiness with each other. Relationship experts recommend that you communicate about sex. But, their recommendations for how to communicate about sex differ. Keep reading to learn these physical intimacy strategies and determine what’s worth trying in your relationship.

How to Know When It’s Time to Move On

When will you know when it’s time to move on? How should you assess difficult situations and relationships? It’s important to determine where to implement endings in your life so you aren’t stuck in the past. Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud offers suggestions for assessing both the difficult situations and relationships in your life. Continue reading to make hard assessments of areas in your life.

3 Ways to Maintain Emotional Intimacy in a Relationship

How often do you have substantive conversations with your partner? How might a “relationship agreement” benefit you? Relationship experts contend that a key to maintaining a happy romantic relationship is to sustain emotional intimacy. Specifically, they suggest that you regularly connect with each other and let each other—and your relationship—evolve. Read on to discover three ways to maintain emotional intimacy in a relationship.