It’s that you don’t know how to stop being defensive.
After yet another big argument, that same argument that you have over and over again. It’s so familiar you could write the script.
AND there’s never any resolution. Sometimes you don’t even remember what it was you were fighting about in the first place.
You want desperately to stop having these arguments. They’re ruining your marriage. It seems no matter what you do nothing changes. You wonder why can’t we figure this out, it shouldn’t be this hard.
One of the biggest reasons you keep having the same arguments is you’re stuck in a pattern of being defensive and blaming.
What exactly do I mean by that.
When you’re triggered by something your partner says or does, you have an immediate defensive reaction to that. That might sound something like, “that’s not true”, and then blame, “well you do that to”, “if you didn’t say what you said then I wouldn’t be angry”.
Defensiveness and blame keep you spinning in circles endlessly, never coming to resolution or being able to solve your problems.
If you continue down this path without changing this dynamic you will keep having the same fights that are destroying your relationship.
What’s possible if you learn to stop being defensive?
For one, you can stop having these painful arguments that are threatening your marriage.
You can listen to your partner without over reacting, you would be able to actually figure out the issues that are important to you instead of fighting about who’s right and who’s wrong.
When defensiveness no longer has a place in your relationship you can listen to a differing opinion from your partner or anyone for that matter, and you can be calm, you can listen without making assumptions about what it means. Without taking it personally.
Imagine being able to hear things that you don’t agree with and not feel defensive, not take it personally?
You can completely change the way you and your partner talk to each other when you stop being defensive.
Disagreements can be just disagreements without it escalating into a big fight. You can still feel close and loving even when you disagree.
If you’re worried about where your marriage is headed if things continue this way, that’s one of the main things I help women (and couples) master in my 4 month coaching intensive.
The core focus is on managing your reactions (defensiveness) when you disagree or get triggered by your partner. You will focus on changing the things that are within your control and that is how you respond to your partner.
The first step is being more aware of your reactions. When you feel triggered by something your partner says or does or doesn’t do, what is your reaction?
Think for a moment, you’re driving in the car together and neither of you are talking. It’s quiet. You notice yourself starting to feel aggravated that your partner isn’t saying anything, he’s not talking at all, you’re starting to have a lot of negative thoughts.
Maybe you start to think he doesn’t care, or that your relationship must be bad because you have nothing to talk about. Instead, in that moment you learn to stop and think about why you are feeling aggravated?
What are you making it mean that there is no talking? When you are more aware of your own internal thoughts you can choose a different response.
The work of changing these patterns takes time and practice. Practice slowing down in moments when you are triggered and resisting the urge or impulse to react in the same way you always do. Which is defensive.
You can begin to not take things so personally by noticing what you are thinking and feeling and what you are making your partner’s words mean about you. What if what your partner is saying/ doing had nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.
This is the mindset work that is part of changing this pattern.
When you are able to manage your reactions and be fully in charge of how you respond, this is life changing. This is the kind of change that transforms marriages and this is exactly what I do with women in my 3 month intensive.
So if you’re interested in that, you’re ready for change and you are ready to do what you can to change yourself, because that’s the only thing you can change, then reach out to me in a private message and we’ll see if my four month coaching intensive is right for you.
In my experience when someone is committed to doing this work, their marriage and really their whole life can change very quickly.
Send me that pm and we will chat today. Or click here to learn more about Marriage Coaching!