5 ways to heal a broken relationship
It's hard to think of anything worse than a broken relationship. Whether it's with a friend, family member, or significant other, losing the support of someone who was once close to you can be difficult.
But there are ways to repair broken relationships, and they don't always involve talking it out right away. In fact, sometimes it takes time for feelings of anger and resentment to subside before you can discuss an issue in a way that will help both parties move forward positively.
Here are five steps that may help guide you through repairing your broken relationship.
Keep communication lines open.
The first step in healing a broken relationship is to keep communication lines open. You should try to talk to them and listen to them, and understand their point of view. Try to see things from their perspective as well.
Remember that it’s not about winning the argument; it’s about getting back together with someone you love. If you can do this by listening more than talking, you will be much more successful in repairing the damage done to your relationship.
Talk about the issue.
When someone has hurt you, it can be tempting not to talk about it. You may think that if you don't bring up the issue, everything will return to normal. But that's often not the case and leaves both parties feeling frustrated and confused about what happened. If a friend has done something that upset or angered you, don't try to pretend like it never happened; instead, take some time together to talk through what went wrong so that everyone can move forward and repair their relationship.
Here are some tips on how to have a productive conversation:
Begin your discussion by explaining what occurred in detail—who was involved, when it took place. This will give your friend the context necessary for understanding why this incident caused such a strong reaction from you.
After describing what transpired between yourself and another person or group of people, explain why those actions affected you so strongly by sharing how each one made felt.
In addition to talking about how something made us feel, we should also consider whether there are steps that could be taken moving forward which would make things better for everyone involved.
Share information with an open mind: It's important not only during this conversation but also afterward as well.
Give them your forgiveness.
It's important that you forgive yourself first. If you don't, it will be very difficult to forgive others for their mistakes and their lack of understanding. Make sure that your heart is open and ready to receive forgiveness from others before moving on.
If someone has done something that hurt or offended you, give them the opportunity to apologize by waiting until they're ready before opening up a dialogue about how their actions affected you. Don't rush into forgiving them; instead, wait patiently until they're ready to apologize (and mean it).
When someone apologizes sincerely, take a moment to reflect on whether or not their words resonate with your heart. If it does, then let go and move forward together as friends again!
Give them space to heal.
If your friend is still hurting from whatever happened between the two of you and isn't ready for any reconciliation just yet, then respect that decision by giving them space until they're ready for more contact with you; this doesn't mean disappearing from their life entirely but instead means not contacting them unless there's an emergency or setting clear boundaries about how much time apart is appropriate for both of you so neither person feels abandoned during this time period.
Spend time together.
Spending time together is an essential part of rebuilding a relationship. The issue, however, is that you want to spend quality time with your loved one as opposed to just any old time.
In this case, it’s important not to overthink things and put too much pressure on yourself or your friend. You can both agree on what activities would be best to rekindle your relationship at a pace that works for you.
It's not always easy to repair a broken relationship, but it is always worth it to try.
Repairing a broken relationship is not easy, but it's always worth it. It might take time and patience, but if you're willing to take the first step and be open to change, your willingness will be rewarded with an improved relationship.
You have to forgive yourself for whatever part you played in causing the rift between you and your loved one. You also have to forgive them for any wrongdoings they may have perpetrated against you or others.
Finally, let go of any grudges that still weigh heavy on your heart. The only way this can happen is by accepting all parties involved as human beings who are capable of making mistakes sometimes (and even if someone does something hurtful that deserves punishment), holding onto anger will only poison the well moving forward.
If you want to see what it is like to take a relationship full of anger to one of redemption, I am inviting you to pick up a copy of my book - God’s Instant. It is the story of a cowboy who was struggling under the weight of his father’s past, a girl who was struggling with grief and a father healing from the death of his son. They all find love and acceptance in the most unexpected place and with the last people they expected. It is available in both digital and paperback format.
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