The record-breaking temperatures aren’t the only thing soaring this summer. Tina Wilson, relationship expert and founder of the dating app Wingman, warns that people become more hot tempered as they struggle to deal with the heat, which can lead couples to argue more. She says our bodies go into “fight or flight” mode while we try to cope with the heat and can end up taking our frustrations out on loved ones.
To avoid that, Wilson says these effective tips will stop a fight in less than a minute:
- Buy yourself time to think - Take a break from the confrontation by telling your partner you “want to think about things.” Stopping in the heat of the moment will help you get some perspective before talking and going for a walk, either alone or together, while you clear your head will help relieve some stress, too.
- Don’t shut down and refuse to talk - Ignoring or avoiding your partner when you’re upset won’t help resolve anything and can actually cause more problems.
- Say “I’m sorry” - According to Wilson, apologizing can stop an argument instantly because it shows compassion, understanding and taking responsibility. Her advice is to be a good listener while you let your partner get things off their chest, then follow with your sincere apology.
- Read between the lines - The relationship expert recommends trying not to get fixated on what’s actually being said when tensions are high and instead reading between the lines to figure out the root cause of why your S.O. is upset or angry.
- Only talk face-to-face - Fighting over text makes it easy to take things out of context and you may end up regretting what you send. Wilson advises communicating in person so you can look each other in the eyes and take cues from expressions and tone to help resolve the argument.
- Stop moaning - When it’s extremely hot and humid, it’s natural to feel grumpy and everything can get on your nerves, but constantly complaining about it can get old fast to the person listening to you. So try to remember that excessively sharing your feelings will drain your energy levels as well as those around you and keeping it to yourself may help you avoid a fight.
Source: Daily Mail