Chapter 11 - Relational Maintenace

 Relational Maintenance

I have currently been in a romantic relationship with my significant other for over three years. To maintain a happy and healthy relationship, you must practice relational maintenances. According to Reflect & Relate, relational maintenance refers to using communication and supportive behaviors to sustain a desired relationship status and level of satisfaction. This can be seen through seven maintenance strategies such as, positivity, assurances, sharing tasks, acceptance, self-disclosure, relationship talks, and social networks. When practiced, these maintenance strategies can help prevent relationships from going downhill.

A few maintenance strategies my partner and I need work on are self-disclosure, social networks, sharing tasks, and assurances. I feel as if I self-disclose very often but my partner has a hard time expressing his feelings or telling me certain things. I don't particularly understand it myself because I have no problem telling him everything. This causes tension on our relationship, but it is important to communicate such issues so we both can work through them.

Our social networks are one sided because he doesn't like coming over to my house and I don't have any friends. I love his family and he loves mine, we just spend more time with his. For his friends, I have met almost all of them, but we don't hang out with them together very often. 

Talking with your partner about relational maintenance is very important in maintaining a satisfied relationship. Putting definitions to your needs and understanding them as well as communicating them will go a long way in relationships.