The more vivid and descriptive the imagery is, the better. Oftentimes, being a supportive partner is no more than telling your partner that you believe in them. In fact, sometimes a heartfelt phrase can make all the difference to your partner who is caught up in a stressful situation.
Emotional support in a relationship goes beyond words of affirmation. Get specific. It can be easy during times of stress for your partner to lose sight of the bigger picture. Many get more stressed as they start to have tunnel vision about a specific project or task. Practice being supportive by highlighting what you love and admire about your partner, and how their skills and abilities can be used to keep moving forward amid stress.
In order to discover how to be a supportive partner , you must be emotionally available. That means being willing to be vulnerable , share your true feelings and face your fears in relationships and beyond.
Learning to forgive and letting go of living in the past is key. Deep listening goes hand in hand with being a supportive partner. Practicing deep listening means making eye contact, giving nonverbal feedback like a smile or a nod, using open and confident body language and ensuring you are fully present.
By entering your information on the Tony Robbins website, you agree that we may collect and use your personal information for marketing, and for other purposes, as set forth in our Privacy Policy, which we encourage you to review. What can we help you find? Generic filters Hidden label. Hidden label. Sign Up Now. Listening actively, or empathically , is another important part of providing emotional support. When you really listen to someone, you give them your full attention.
Show interest in their words by:. Think about the last time you went through something difficult. You probably wanted to talk to someone about the problem, but you may not have necessarily wanted them to fix it for you or make it go away.
Maybe you just wanted to vent your frustration or disappointment and get some soothing acknowledgment in return. Often, it involves nothing more than validation. The support people often want most is recognition of their distress.
You might offer the best support simply by showing concern and offering a caring presence. Nobody likes feeling judged. Someone facing a difficult situation as a result of their actions may have done some self-judgment already. When offering support, try to keep your opinions on what they should have done or where they went wrong to yourself.
Take care to keep notes of disapproval out of your voice by focusing on feelings like sympathy and compassion when you speak. Instead of searching for the perfect thing to say, go for what feels natural and genuine. An authentic expression of concern will likely mean far more to your loved one than a canned response or one devoid of true feeling.
Times of personal difficulty, especially ones involving rejection, can bring people down and make them doubt themselves and their abilities. If you notice someone you care for seems to be a little low, harder on themselves than usual, or going through some self-doubt, a sincere compliment or two can go a long way toward improving their outlook.
If they ask what you think, you could offer some gentle guidance that might help their plan succeed. Even if they ask for your honest opinion, avoid responding with harsh or negative criticism or tearing their plan apart. Depending on your relationship with the person you want to support, hugs, kisses, and other intimate touches and caresses can often have a powerful impact.
People face all kinds of unpleasant situations in life. Some of these challenges have a much broader or far-reaching impact than others. A loved one trying to manage emotional turmoil may have less mental capacity for dealing with their usual responsibilities. In fact, little things can often have more impact, especially when your actions show you truly heard and understood their words.
Some difficult situations have no solution. You can still offer support, though. Someone facing a tough situation might struggle to focus on other things. A supportive partner also challenges their significant other when they are not making the best choices for themselves, in addition to giving their partner space to explore their own interests.
While a supportive partner may mean different things for different people, if you are supportive in a relationship, your partner will feel like you are their safe place, and they can be themselves with you. Being supportive in a relationship is so essential because it is one of the most important factors for building a stable relationship.
Research shows that support from your partner is essential for fostering relationship satisfaction. When two people come together, they bring separate dreams to the table. Having a lifelong partner who supports those dreams allows you to thrive and become the best version of yourself. On the other hand, when someone is not a supportive partner, this can lead to resentment, low self-esteem , and feeling as if you are not good enough for your significant other.
When you know you can count on your partner to be there when you are struggling or to let you vent after a bad day at work, you will be confident that you can face whatever life throws at you.
Being supportive in a relationship also builds trust because two people know they can rely on each other in any situation. Supporting your partner can look different in every relationship, but some key traits represent what makes a supportive wife or a supportive husband.
The following are important traits of a supportive spouse or partner:. There are some specific traits that represent being a supportive husband. For example, in relationships where a wife or female partner stays at home to raise children while the husband goes to work, a husband may need to show the following traits to be a supportive partner:.
Of course, some of the traits of a supportive wife may apply to a supportive husband, and vice versa, as every relationship is different, with each partner assuming different roles depending upon the needs of the couple.
If you are wondering how to take on some of the traits of a supportive husband or wife or a supportive boyfriend or girlfriend, you can take certain steps to support your partner. There are different kinds of support, such as emotional support , being supportive through motivation and encouragement, or supporting your partner through making them feel important and respected.
Here are 20 tips for overcoming lack of support and learning how to be a supportive partner:. Research shows that active, responsive listening is essential for well-functioning intimate relationships. Responsive listening requires you to be actively interested in and participating in the conversation. For example, if your partner shares with you that he is interested in a career change, eliminate your judgments and try to truly understand where he is coming from with this desire.
For instance, if you are annoyed that they are venting to you about a bad day at work, think about how you might feel if you had a conflict with a coworker and wanted to talk to someone about it.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to ask for help, or your partner may feel guilty, placing a burden upon you. If you notice your partner is going through a challenging situation, anticipate what they might need from you, and provide it without their asking. When life gets difficult, be sure to communicate to your partner that you two are a team or a united front. Express that you want to remain supportive of each other. When your partner accomplishes something or is facing a challenge, be sure to let them know you are rooting for them.
This shows your partner that you support them in growing and becoming the best version of themselves. If your partner comes in the door from work and seems stressed, grumpy, or simply not in the mood to talk, recognize this fact and give him or her a few minutes of alone time to unwind, without taking it personally. The occasional late day spent at the office or canceling of dinner plans because they are too tired should not lead to guilt or a fight.
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