1. Fight In A Timely Fashion
All arguments should begin before 10 P.M. ET so that they are fully resolved before 2 A.M. at the latest. Nobody likes to go to bed angry with their lover, but we also don’t enjoy conflict resolution at five in the morning. Some people need a full eight-hour beauty rest, and bickering on the phone ‘til sunrise does a number on our chances of reaching REM cycle.
2. Fight In The Appropriate Environment
The right environment can be anywhere on the planet as long as nobody else is within audible range. At the party in front of everyone, or in the restaurant making that poor waitress feel super uncomfortable – that needs to not happen. It’s only awesome to watch a dysfunctional couple in action, not to be a contributing member of such dramatics.
3. Don’t Openly Share The Bad
If your friends, parents, siblings, cousins and that person you drunkenly rambled to all hate your boyfriend/girlfriend, ask yourself why? It might be because all they ever see or hear about your significant other is the negative. The not-so-subtle, angry Facebook statuses. If you make phone calls to others when you’re at peak frustration, all you’re going to talk about is how much you hate the person you’re with.
4. The Mistake 24-Hour Grace Period
We’re human. We’re flawed. There’s no CTRL+Z for life that allows us to undo mistakes (BIG or small). If someone screws up and you want to be sure that they know it, take a day to lightly bash and make jokes – after that, let it be history. Seriously, record-keeping stenographers who live in the past and bring up miscues make awful companions.
5. Don’t Drive Yourself Crazy Expecting The Worst
Either trust the person you’re with when they’re out of your sight or don’t be with them at all… Or you could just — you know, remain with them and turn into a crazy person. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to just give the benefit of the doubt…
Read more at Thought Catalogue
