Dealing with a partner who’s not willing to acknowledge your presence or communicate with you clearly for days can be frustrating as well as heart-breaking. An unresponsive partner not only tests your patience but also affects your mental health if he/she continues this behaviour for long. While they may not be realising, being unresponsive could ruin a relationship in longer run. Being unresponsive may also mean that the partner is inclined to run away from the issues and is clueless about ways to resolve them. It is crucial to solve these issues before it affects the relationship adversely. (Also read: Are you dating an emotionally immature person? Here are signs)
“Every relationship goes through tumultuous phases. The reasons for these disruptions vary. You may find yourself dealing with an unresponsive partner, which threatens to weaken the foundation of the relationship. You might realise your partner has become callous and cavalier in their treatment of you. It is crucial to solving these issues before it affects the relationship adversely,” says Sheetal Shaparia, Life Coach, Astrologer, Tasseographer.
Communication is key to repairing broken communication. But how do you push aside the disappointment and hurt and deal with the matter? Read on to know these tips suggested by Sheetal Shaparia if you find yourself stuck in such a situation.
Be calm: Do not give in to the urge to punish your partner for being unresponsive. If you do, you will cause your partner to close up, contrary to what you desire. Hold your tongue and temper in check, and get hold of yourself. Take deep breaths, take a walk, but come back and finish the conversation calmly.
Check yourself: Each of us has shortcomings. Looking honestly at your behaviour might show you some things that need changing. Who knows, it might be your behaviour that is making your partner unresponsive. Not allowing them to speak, interrupting them constantly, and being critical of their habits and behaviour – if you practice this, sincerely owning up to your part of this broken connection will go a long way in fixing the problem.
Be clear in your communications: Effective communication is challenging because we assume people understand what we are trying to say. It might seem so obvious to you, but they might not get what you mean unless it is spelt out in a “language” that they understand.
Stonewalling no more: It is infuriating when your partner is unresponsive. You can break this cycle, but not with anger or rudeness. Set boundaries and be firm and gentle while clarifying that stonewalling is unacceptable.
Walk the talk: You might be tempted to go to a corner and give them a taste of their own medicine. But that hardly serves any purpose. Treat them with respect, just as you desire from them. Try to be compassionate and honest in your interactions and set examples of how you want to be treated. You are more likely to get a response from them this way than by showing your frustrations.
“Working on a relationship and maintaining it is incredibly challenging. Prolonged unresponsiveness will kill the relationship and leave you bitter. Therefore, it is necessary to talk things through and be more mindful of each other’s actions for a healthy and lasting relationship,” concludes Shaparia.