Repairing A Broken Relationship

If you have a relationship that’s broken or on it’s way down, what can you do to improve it? Repairing a relationship is different than cultivating and improving an already strong relationship. Instead of just moving forward, you’re often moving in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back fashion.

These five phrases can help. As long as you two are still in communication, no matter how bad the relationship is, there’s still hope. Here are the five phrases.

Let’s Talk

As a relationship deteriorates, it’s likely that the two of you will stop having real and honest conversations. You might still see each other as you live your lives, but you rarely truly talk.

The simple phrase “let’s talk” or the act of reaching out to have a conversation can have a big impact.

It can be tempting to wait for the other person to reach out first. If you do that however, you could be waiting forever.

I’m Sorry

A sincere apology can go a really long way. In every dispute, usually both parties have some amount of responsibility.

You don’t have to take full responsibility for everything that’s happened in the relationship. However, taking responsibility for just your side of the equation can help them feel a lot better about the whole situation.

When you apologize, make sure that you’re genuinely sorry about whatever you’re apologizing for. It’s better to be genuinely apologetic for something small than to try and apologize for everything when you don’t mean it.

Give Them a Sincere Compliment

What do you appreciate about them? What do you like about them? What do they do better than anyone else?

If they’re still in your life, chances are there’s something about them that you really appreciate. Let them know what that is.

Again, make sure that when you give a compliment, you’re genuine and sincere. It’s better to give a small but genuine compliment than a large but insincere one.

Want to Do …?

In the beginning of a relationship, you probably did a lot together. You had dinner together, you watched movies together, you went on drives together, you went to music shows together. When a relationship deteriorates however, you tend to stop spending time with one another.

Spending some quality time together can help patch things up, renew the connection and repair the damage to the relationship.

If you want to improve your relationship, one of the simplest ways to do this is to offer to spend time together. Just ask them if they want to do X with you sometime when you’re both free.

I Love You

Love is one of the most powerful emotions known to humans. If there is love between two people, many of their problems can probably be resolved.

If you still love the person you’re with, let them know that. Don’t hesitate to tell them that. Look in their eyes and let them know the despite everything that’s happened, you still love them. Then work towards resolving your differences from there.

These five phrases can help you start conversations that can take a damaged relationship and bring it back towards becoming a healthy relationship.