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Is your home the peaceful, happy place you always wanted it to be? A loving environment is essential to a happy family life. But as much as you love your partner and kids, frustrations, disagreements, and arguments can sometimes make it tough to maintain a good connection, even with those closest to you, especially after bariatric surgery.
Maybe you have spent years being heavy. Your confidence is low. You never really had a voice. You often felt your opinions didn’t matter, so it was best to keep your mouth shut. These thoughts and feelings are not only unhealthy but are simply untrue.
What we think matters.
Keep in mind that as we lose weight, we naturally build confidence. As we gain confidence, we become more vocal. Our friends and family members aren’t used to this and sometimes are taken aback. We must learn how to communicate with love in our new bodies.
So, what can you do to reduce this negativity?
Miscommunication are likely to cause most of the difficulties you encounter with your loved ones.
Keep these tips in mind as you strengthen your communication skills:
Be flexible, open, and honest.
Even if it’s not the most convenient time for you, strive to be there for your loved ones when they want to talk. They need to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings with you. Be honest with one another. While being honest, be kind when saying something that may cause a family member any distress. They are more receptive when you use kind words and a pleasing tone of voice.
When possible, prepare what you’re going to say.
Sometimes, communication issues happen just because you don’t say what you mean—this happens more often than you think! Thinking it through before you speak, ensures you send the intended message. Even in the middle of a conversation, please take a moment to plan what you will say before you say it.
Be a good listener.
Learning how to listen effectively is a full fifty percent of the battle. You can be great at speaking, but the skill may be useless if you don’t understand others. You can strengthen your listening skills by paying closer attention when others talk. Allow them to finish their thoughts before you speak again.
Avoid jumping to conclusions.
Jumping to conclusions leads to unnecessary complications. You might be assuming something that isn’t even true. It’s important to find out your loved ones’ true thoughts and feelings and clarify yours as well. Knowing the whole story can save people from getting hurt by incorrect assumptions, yourself included.
Be understanding.
Sometimes, you’ll hold yourself and your loved ones to higher standards than you expect from others. Remember: no one is perfect, including you. If someone makes a mistake, explain to them that it’s okay. Avoid holding a grudge because negativity and tension will only cloud your communication efforts.
Be willing to compromise.
Strive for wisdom in recognizing the difference between what you need from a situation and what you want. The best solutions allow everyone to leave the situation satisfied with the outcome.
Practice your skills.
Good communication is a skill that you can continuously strengthen. Relationships between people are ever-changing, and there’s always something new that you can learn. Be willing to continue learning how to communicate better with your loved ones. This exploration may enable your relationships to go deeper because you care enough to keep trying.
Have some fun each day.
It’s essential to have fun together as a family. Family fun doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. It can be as simple as having ice cream cones or playing with pets. Simple things can make a big difference in how communication flows in a home.
Say, “I love you.”
Remember to show your spouse and kids how much you love them daily. Share loving, encouraging words and hugs freely throughout the day – even if it’s a hard day. (Especially if it’s a hard day)! A happy home makes a lovely place to live, play, and look forward to the future! A happy home welcomes your loved ones when they return from work or other outings. They can leave the stresses of the outside world behind as they enter the loving sanctuary of home.
Remember that you should never be afraid to speak up when you’re talking with your loved ones. They’re not mind readers and deserve to know how you’re feeling! Conversely, it’s also important to be understanding and receptive to their feelings. Good communication can strengthen your bonds for a lifetime.
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