Open relationships are a surprisingly exploratory niche, becoming increasingly popular among open-minded, progressive adults. Regardless of your sexual orientation, there are ways to have a healthy, open relationship. If you’re part of a couple, you can expand your relationship to include a third person and embrace a polyamorous lifestyle. Or you can remain each other’s primary partner while feeling free to explore other casual relationships. Either way, non-monogamy is on the rise. But as with all pairings, there are ways to share your life with others who enjoy a luxury lifestyle in a happy, healthy, and fulfilling way.
As more people are involved, the need for communication increases, calling for people to be more honest, empathetic, and direct in their communication in life. Feelings of jealousy, confusion, and envy are not uncommon, but there are ways to deal with them. Suppose you want to know what an open relationship is like or want to make your current relationship more successful. In that case, these eight communication strategies are designed to help you grow and thrive in a non-monogamous relationship.
Learning from Other People’s Open Relationships
Collecting communication strategies for building an open relationship can start with field research. Talk to people who live lavish lifestyles and have been in personal classified open relationships longer than you. They can give you wisdom through their experiences. You can do this by chatting with friends and family who you know personally or by participating in online open relationship forums. Find communication strategies that work best with people in a similar relationship situation.
Spend one-on-one time with each partner.
Not being able to spend time together and communicate with your partners individually, without the distraction of the other partner, can have severe consequences in an open relationship. Even if you are in an open relationship, giving your partner the attention they deserve and creating opportunities for intimacy is essential. Use this time to make the most of your permissive dating. You can then focus on one-on-one relationships within a more significant agreement and discuss what works and what doesn’t for you. This will help you become closer and strengthen your connection as each other’s primary partners.
Know Yourself
Any communication strategy requires an essential knowledge of your feelings and boundaries. The more you know about yourself and what kind of open relationship you want, the easier it will be to communicate your needs to others. If you’re struggling to find a relationship balance that works for you, it might be because you don’t know precisely what you want and how to make your desires come true. Before you commit to a full-fledged open relationship, determine the answers to these critical questions.
Take time to communicate proactively.
Daily life is busy, and communication only sometimes takes time to come naturally. If you want clarity in communication between you and your primary partner, make space in your schedule for these conversations. Identify times of the day, week, or month that are good for communication, and use those times to discuss your feelings openly. Open iowa city frindships are changeable, and how you feel one day may change the next. Consolidating when and how you discuss boundaries helps build a culture of organic, casual communication.
Embrace Multiple Forms of Communication
When you’re in a relationship with more than one person, you simultaneously deal with multiple personalities, needs, and communication styles. Verbal communication is essential, but it’s only everyone’s preferred form. Other things to explore can reveal surprising amounts of emotion and clarity. Written communication is one example, but more abstract forms of communication are often overlooked: intimacy, foreplay, intercourse, visual communication like art, and even listening. Embrace multiple forms of expression.
Become a World-Class Listener
We talk about listening as a form of communication, so let’s think about that momentarily. Active listening is one of the most potent ways to connect with your partner in any relationship, especially a non-monogamous one. Listening and speaking are both essential prerequisites for a healthy flow of communication. When your partner shares their feelings with you, don’t just wait for them to stop talking; it’s your turn, but sit and listen to what they say. Give them space to have their moment.
Be honest yet kind
Honesty is always essential for a healthy relationship. However, having an open relationship involving multiple people and many moving parts is critical for lasting love and success. However, honesty without kindness can hurt relationships. Even if you feel anger or jealousyysomeone’s behavior, try to express it caring and respectfully. Thus, everything will run more smoothly.
Enjoy the development of relationships.
Open relationships can be complicated and require a lot of effort. But many people find them incredibly rewarding and liberating. These dynamic relationship styles require an adaptable, open mindset that can change over time. Enjoying and accepting the natural evolution of an open relationship is the key to thriving in its glorious uniqueness and creating a happy, healthy dynamic that lasts.
Final Thoughts
Open relationships are an excellent way for couples with the same extravagant interests to expand their connection and experience love outside traditional relationships. Monogamy is not endangered and is still the love style most people follow. However, the way we define these shapes is changing.
By embracing these communication strategies, anyone experimenting with non-monogamy or rehashing their approaches can experience more intimacy and happiness.
