• 3 Tips to Emotionally Support Your Spouse for People Who Struggle with Emotions

  • Being in a relationship means that you are present for your spouse in their moments of need. Sometimes that may mean that you are there to support financially when they are out of work, physically when they cannot  do something, or emotionally when they are having difficulty coping. 

    3 Tips To Help Your Jealousy

    This is a time when being an emotional support for our spouse is even more important, but that can seem cumbersome for some people.  Raise your hand if you have ever said something like this.

    “I already struggle with my own emotions, how can I help them?” 

    “I don’t do emotions. “

    “I am not very good at talking about feelings”

    Sound familiar? Well if that is the case you are in luck because here are some helpful tips for you to be able to help your spouse with their emotions. 

    3 Tips For Dating While Stuck at Home

    1. Stop Fixing 

    Typically when your significant other is having an emotional moment, you come up with a million ways that they can fix their problem during their tears. Then they get mad at you for your solutions that they could not come up with. 

    Well here is the skinny. The truth is that your spouse no matter how emotional can fix their problems and don’t typically want your solutions unless they explicitly ask you. Stop coming up with solutions. Coming up with solutions makes you come off as distant and disinterested in the conversation. Providing solutions hasn’t worked in the past and it will not work in the future. 

    2. Active Listen 

    I just told you to stop doing your go-to “Here is what you should do” strategy. Now you may feel like you have nothing else to do. Here is where active listening comings into play. 

    Active listening helps you seem involved in the process that your significant other is going through. Active listening means that you are taking an active role in this conversation but as a listener. Give non-verbal indications that you are listening like head nods, eye contact,  small verbal encouragers like “mhhmm”, and summarize what your spouse tells you in small increments.

    3. Validate Their Feelings

    People going through emotional distress want to know that their feelings are valid. Help your spouse out by validating their feelings. This can seem difficulty but here is an easy format to follow. 

    “It sounds like you feel _______” 

    Follow that format to emotionally validate your spouse and they will feel that you understand their emotions, which makes you seem more empathetic. 

    The great thing about these steps is that at some point your spouse may say “what do you think?” or “what should I do?” and this will be your natural time to shine when you can come swooping in like the solutions eagle that you are and shower your spouse with all possible angles. 

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