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Do you struggle with how to respond when you've hurt your partner's feelings?
You'e not alone! These 4 steps you can take when you've hurt your partner's feelings will help strengthen your relationship.
1. Acknowledge Their Feelings
Be sure to listen to understand
Use empathy
Be open and flexible
Repeat back what they have shared
Show that you are listening with your body language
Don't turn the focus onto yourself
Avoid telling your partner how to feel or that their feelings are wrong
Don't try to make a joke about your partner's feelings or the situation
Avoid becoming defensive
Quiz
Jeanette felt hurt because her partner forgot about their anniversary. Jeanette's partner listened attentively and used eye contact to show that he was listening. What else can he do to acknowledge Jeanette's feelings?
Avoiding excuses and sharing that he understands why Jeanette feels the way she does will allow her to feel heard and understood. If Jeanette's partner talks about his feelings or begins to make jokes about the situation, he takes the focus away from Jeanette.
2. Take Responsibility and Apologize
If you don't know what you did that hurt your partner, ask them
Apologize using an appropriate apology method
Did you know?
3. Learn From What Happened
Implement Changes
Use your reflections and growth to show your partner that you won't repeat the same mistakes. Some ways to do that include:
Communicating with your partner
Actively listening to your partner
Seeking professional help for any root cause issues that may lead you to make the same mistakes again
Sharing what you are working on (within yourself) with your partner so that they feel a part of the process
If you do make a mistake, recognizing it out loud (to yourself and your partner) and apologizing for it
4. Get Professional Help
Sometimes, a couple needs the help of a professional to work through hurt feelings.
Seek the help of a professional if:
Arguments are becoming more frequent
You and your partner are having trouble communicating
You feel that you (or your partner) continue making bad choices
Either partner has trust concerns
Sheila and Robbie
Photo by Tim Mossholder on UnsplashRobbie recently discovered that Sheila has been sharing flirtatious texts with her ex. Robbie feels betrayed and his feelings are hurt.
Sheila loves Robbie, and knows that she shouldn't have been responding to her ex's texts. When Robbie confronted Sheila, she became angry and defensive. Robbie ended up walking away and nothing was resolved.
Sheila has several options moving forward:
Call Robbie and ask him if he'd be willing to go to a professional therapist with her.
Text Robbie and tell him all the things he's done wrong that led to her texting her ex.
Meet with Robbie and listen to how he's feeling. Tell him she's sorry for texting with her ex and that it won't happen again.
Move on because Robbie obviously doesn't care about her feelings since he walked away during their conversation.
Quiz
Which option(s) would be the most appropriate way(s) for Sheila to respond after having hurt Robbie?
It's a great idea for Sheila to acknowledge Robbie's feelings, take responsibility for her actions, and apologize for what she's done. Because Sheila's actions have likely caused some trust issues in their relationship, it would be a good idea to seek the help of a professional.
Take Action
This Byte has been authored by
Sandi McKinney
Instructional Designer/eLearning Developer