9 Ways to Improve Your Relationship (and Your Health!)

How many times have you found yourself frustrated in conversation with your mate trying to explain something important and walked away shaking your head in frustration saying to yourself, “He just doesn’t get it!” Your shoulders tense, your brows come together in that little crease and the tension headaches continue.

Well knock it off. He just doesn’t get it in your language.

We all have different languages and ways of interpreting love and affection based on our upbringing, gender, personal belief systems, and other life experiences and filters. The key to successful communication in relationships however is not assuming that just because something makes sense to you or is something that you enjoy, it must make sense or be something your spouse enjoys too.

You may be wondering what the heck successful communication has to do with improving your relationship and your health. Here’s the scoop. Studies done at the Institute of Heartmath have shown that stress and different emotional states affect our autonomic nervous system, hormonal and immune systems, heart and brain. Quite simply, they’ve proven that negative emotions impact our health in a negative way, and positive emotions impact our health in a positive way. While we occasionally do experience emotions on our own, they are more often than not the result of a successful (or unsuccessful) experience with someone else.

That’s why we’ve come up with 10 simple ways for you to improve your translation and communication skills, and tip the scales in your favor for a better relationship and better health.

1. Never Assume, Always Ask. Don’t assume you know what others mean, regardless of how long you’ve known them. Leave your personal filters out of the mix and ask.

2. Learn Their Language. When you can communicate in someone else’s language, you gain credibility, increase your connection and often learn something new in your relationship. Spend more time listening to what kind of language they use when speaking to you and use that terminology when speaking to them.

3. 10 Words or Less. Not that what you have to say isn’t important, but longer more detailed explanations can get tiring. See if you can bottom-line the main point down to 10 words or less. You will immediately increase your credibility and get your point across simply and more powerfully.

4. Start with “I”. No one likes a sentence that starts with “You did” or “You said,” because it instantly sets us on defense wondering what we did or said that was not to someone else’s satisfaction. (And a constant state of emotional defense affects our physiological fight/flight response, putting more stress on our bodies internal systems). Take responsibility for your health by starting with your words. Begin your sentences with “I feel” or “I would like” and observe how others respond.

5. Ask for What You Want. No matter how good you think you may be, people are not mind-readers. It is not anybody else’s job to read your mind to figure out what you want – for your birthday, to rub your feet after a long day, to just be held or told everything is going to be okay, to take the kids for a day so you can have some alone time. If you’re not getting what you want, chances are because you are not asking for it. Start now (and hey, practice asking for it in 10 words or less).

6. Rewind and Edit. Okay, so the last conversation didn’t go so well. You both walked away angry, frustrated, and feeling like crap. You both probably said some things that just didn’t come out right. All is not lost and you don’t have to wait a week to make up. See what you could have said differently that may have served the conversation better. Take the initiative and ask the other person if you can rewind and edit what you said the first time…and try it again.

7. Eliminate Static. Studies have shown that negative thoughts and emotions have a physiological impact on the body. They’re like static on a TV. Disharmony leads to inefficiency and increased stress our bodies’ systems. The next time you find yourself having that one-way conversation in your head that is a result of all the emotions you’ve pent-up and not expressed out loud, take a deep breathe and get honest with yourself about what is really bothering you. When you eliminate the static of all the little irritations and get to the heart of your emotions, you will have a clearer picture and less stress.

8. Snuggle More. Life will always be busy. Stop feeling like you’re living in the same house and never see each other. Set some time to just snuggle and hold hands – connect!

9. Make Time Each Day for Yourself. A successful relationship doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself in the process. If you are so busy taking care of everyone else that you find yourself wishing there were 48 hours in a day so you could have some time for you, stop! Studies show that taking just 10 minutes a day twice a day to do something nice for yourself can improve your mood, relieve depression, and increase feelings of well-being. When you are happier, you will bring a happier (and healthier) self to your relationship.

Start now. Take out your calendar, your Outlook, your Blackberry, whatever, and block out 10 minutes for yourself. You'll be glad you did.