Having a growth mindset helps build strong relationships between partners. Growth in a relationship means building a stable and healthy platform to discuss needs and goals. While engaging in healthy communication and relying on your partner for support, your bond grows stronger. You will learn new things about your partner and yourself each day as you are open and honest in your approach. When you truly believe that your partner is your greatest supporter and role model, you can build on each other’s achievements and achieve double the success of one body.

Relationships will be most successful when you recognize each other’s needs, can approach each other for support, and rely on each other for comfort and advice when struggling. Stable relationships that stimulate growth impact the next generation of children and have lasting impressions on a child’s ability to trust and socialize with others (Knox, 2011). In contrast, if your partner is causing more stress and your interactions are unconstructive, you are probably not using the right strategies for effective communication that will foster the best response to external and relational stress (Ledermann, 2010). In times of adversity, some couples struggle to have a response that fosters connection and growth, leading to a harsh environment.

Here are some tips for positive communication and growth with your partner:

  1. Avoid taking your stress out on your partner. Instead, come to your partner for support and invite them to help you resolve tensions. When explaining the dilemma to your partner without placing unnecessary blame on them, they will understand the problem and will likely be able to help you work through the issue and provide emotional and practical support (Ledermann, 2010).
  2. Communicate effectively. This goes hand-in-hand with not having negative responses to stress and placing fault upon partner for external stressors, but even applies in stress-free contexts. Make time for one-on-one quality time and make important decisions together. This will not only avoid conflict but will foster a loving partnership and dialogue with your loved one.
  3. Set goals together. Often the reason why contemporary marriages do no work out is because there are high expectations set for the self and a lack of aspirations for the couple to flourish as a group. When deciding on common goals, the two partners will feel responsible to each other and to the achievement of the task. This will help you be faithful to each other and will create a better bond, because you know you always have a common interest to work towards together. The best relationships have space for improvement, and you each rely on the partnership to help achieve these goals and be the best versions of yourselves

References

  • Carlisle, M. (2011). Healthy Relationships and Building Developmental Assets in Middle School Students. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne de l’éducation, 34(3), 18–32. http://www.jstor.org/stable/ canajeducrevucan.34.3.18
  • Dominian, J. (1992). Marriage: Growth and Decline. The Furrow, 43(3), 158–163. http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 27662156
  • KNOX, V., COWAN, P. A., COWAN, C. P., & BILDNER, E. (2011). Policies That Strengthen Fatherhood and Family Relationships: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 635, 216–239. http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 29779419
  • Ledermann, T., Bodenmann, G., Rudaz, M., & Bradbury, T. N. (2010). Stress, Communication, and Marital Quality in Couples. Family Relations, 59(2), 195–206. http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 40663953

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