Love & Relationships

Good communication is the key to a great relationship – you know that. However, there are certain times when too much talking can do more harm than good. So, here’s when you should call a conversation quits, courtesy of the romance experts at eHarmony.

• Stop talking when you’ve said it a million times. If you’ve been telling your partner ever since you met that it drives you nuts when he chews with his mouth open - and he still hasn’t stopped - give it a rest. Or if you constantly argue over how long it should take to get ready for a date. At some point you’ve got to realize that talking hasn’t done much good, and in this case, it’s not going to provide a solution. There are times you simply have to agree to disagree because if you don’t give up the conversations you keep having over and over and over without any resolution, they’ll only grind both of you down.
• Stop talking if you have a limited amount of time. You’re about to meet friends for dinner, or arrive at a party. You have only a small amount of time, and that’s one of the worst times to initiate a conversation. Why? Because you’ll have to stop talking just as things begin to heat up emotionally. Then suddenly you’re both upset, but you can’t continue the discussion because you’re meeting people and you’ll have a hard time enjoying your social time because of your emotional state. So if the conversation is touchy in any way, don’t try to “squeeze it in.” Wait until you have more time.
• Stop talking if you’re especially tired. When we’re tired, we’re more irritable, less reasonable, less tolerant, more defensive, and less patient. Does that sound like a recipe for a good conversation? NO! Do your relationship a favor and skip serious talks when one or both of you are really tired.  

It might be hard to keep quiet when something’s bothering you, but for the sake of your relationship, sometimes you have to. If it’s an important conversation, you want to make sure you have it when you’re both ready, and when the timing is right.