Bhathiya Barukanda
Humans are social animals; we depend on our interpersonal relationships to learn, grow, and seek comfort. We need friends, siblings, colleagues, relatives, and even romantic partners to nurture our life and growth.
Maintaining them can prove to be daunting but it’s not something you cannot manage! You need to keep the basic foundation stone of your interpersonal relationships – with communication, understanding and space – solid to sustain strong interpersonal relationships.
Unlike with your significant other, you are not in constant touch with your friends or colleagues. Sometimes, work consumes you, sometimes other personal commitments. However, the willingness to understand the situation and not make a mountain out of a molehill is an important part of ensuring strong interpersonal relationships. Communication needs to be straightforward; you cannot beat around the bush.
1. Respect Other People’s Space In Any Relationship
Being committed to each other doesn’t mean you need to be joined at the hip all the time. Instead, give each other space. So, even if you or your partner or friend need some ‘me-time’, you do not hold a grudge against each other for that. Similarly, if you find that your friend has not called you for a good 10 days or has forgotten to respond to your text, don’t jump the gun. Ask what happened, and talk it out.
Tip: If you feel the person in question is finding your presence too overwhelming, kindly move away and keep a distance until the next time you ping each other.
2. Be A Great Listener
To be able to survive and sustain longstanding relationships, you need to be an extremely good listener. Never try to talk the other person down; it reflects badly on you. Let the person finish what he or she has to say, understand what their point is, and then respond. Paying attention while your friends, family members or colleagues speak makes a good impression and helps you socially.
Tip: Try to first let the person finish and then put your point across.
3. Respect One Another In The Relationship
Respecting each other’s wishes and respecting one another even in their absence is vital to a good foundation for a relationship. You should never gossip about your partner or friend, or air your dirty laundry. Disagreements are something that you solve between yourselves without getting your friends or family involved. During disagreements, you must feel able to voice your opinion without feeling any anxiety or stress about being misunderstood.
Tip: Understand each other’s priorities and necessities, this will help you gain insight into your relationship.
4. Be Honest
Honesty helps establish trust in a relationship. At times, it could be difficult, to be honest with your partner or friend. However, keep in mind that both of you are committed to understanding, listening and encouraging honesty. After all, you would rather hear the inconvenient truth from your partner than from a third person.
Tip: If you feel some issue bothering you, take it up with the person immediately. Don’t let negativity build within you.
5. It’s Healthy To Argue In A Relationship
Many believe that arguments are unhealthy for a relationship. While that is true to an extent, it’s not entirely correct. It’s natural to disagree on various topics, but it’s more important to agree to disagree. It allows you to understand your partner’s perspective and, hence, gives each of you room for improvement if need be.
6. Take Responsibility For Your Behaviour
If you are someone who owns up to your faults and works on not repeating them, you are taking a huge load off the relationship. More often than not, relationships crumble due to this reason. Acknowledging your mistakes will signal your understanding and interest in self-growth, and benefit the relationship.
Tip: As soon as you realise the argument was your fault, own up and apologise. Save yourself days of discomfort and awkwardness.
7. Learn To Say ‘No’
As much as it’s necessary to agree on things mutually, it’s also very essential to disagree. You have to figure out a way to say ‘no’ that not only serves the purpose but also doesn’t end in an argument. You must be able to be open about what you think and not afraid to voice your opinions and feelings; this ability is important to hold the relationship together.
Tip: Having a strong interpersonal relationship doesn’t mean you need to agree to everything. It is fine to say ‘no’. If things don’t fit with your moral compass or liking, be unafraid to ignore them or to say ‘no’!
8. Spend Quality Time Together
It is not necessary that you spend most of your time with your partner. Spending time with your family, siblings, friends, peers or even neighbours for that matter is a refreshing change and gives you different perspectives in life. Spend quality time with your loved ones as much as possible and whenever possible. You foster bonds that are meant to last for life this way.
Tip: Look for those little things that you can do together—cooking, watching a movie, walking, or even a fun game night.
9. Connect With Your Family Often
Engage your parents or your children by getting them off their everyday routine. Plan an activity for the day and ensure that everybody participates. Be it a game of cards, a board game, dumb charades, or karaoke, push each family member to bring their best.
Tip: Look at those photo albums that are tucked away in the corners of your wardrobes. Relive old memories!
10. Bridge That Distance
While some of us live with our families, others live away from their parents or siblings in nuclear families or due to work commitments. This leaves them with no choice but to be connected via virtual modes.
Tip: Get on that video call as often as you can to be well-connected and in touch with your family or friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is an interpersonal relationship?
A. Interpersonal relationships are those formed between people. They might not necessarily be romantic. They can be friendships, co-worker relationships, bonds between siblings, and so on.
Q. How can I strengthen my interpersonal relationship?
A. First and foremost, the founding stones of any relationship – communication and understanding – must be strongly rooted. If these are strong enough, even if you go without speaking for months, you will still have as much affection and love for each other.
Q. How often should one meet to keep up a strong interpersonal relationship?
A. Again, you need not meet or speak to a person regularly to define your interpersonal relationship. As long as your priorities are in place and you understand each other’s position in life, you already have a strong relationship with the person.
Q. Is it possible to overcome a misunderstanding and still be as thick as you were before in a relationship?
A. Absolutely! If you sit down and discuss all the factors that bother both of you, and you come to a mid-ground when it comes to resolving your differences, it is possible to revive that initial bond.
Text: Madhu Wicramasingha
Source: Femina.in
