Rolling with Relational Changes

If asked, couples would say they prefer not to struggle with the ups and downs necessitated by life. Life, frozen in time, proves to be no kind of life worth living. With that said, the prospect of dealing with changes in a relationship stirs fear. Even the strongest couples find stopping any pending change impossible, but they can weather it while flourishing.

Attitude Makes a Difference

Being aware of the inevitable nature of change can be the first step in accepting its impact. A couple possessing a healthy attitude about life's variances will stand united against all the things threatening to tear them apart. Most people believe a positive outlook provides nothing to the outcome. However, studies show those believing they will will come out the other side whole when going into a difficult situation have a greater likelihood of succeeding.

Rolling with Relational Changes

Working Together

Supporting one another gives couples another advantage as change buffets them. By being a team, no one feels as though they must bear the weight of the relationship on their own. Times will exist when one partner may need to provide greater support and this balances swings from one to the other. The good news is they are a pair when times get tough and remind each other how far they have traveled together.

Step into the Change

Confidently moving with any changes offers challenges most couples prefer to deflect. Change possesses the tendency to revel shortcomings in one's skill. These weaknesses arrive at the most inopportune times. They point to areas requiring work in defining areas like listening, communicating and working together.

Professional Guidance

The prospect of facing changes, even as a solid unit, can be overwhelming. Under these circumstances, couples with an ally in the form of a trained counselor achieve a greater chance for success. A third party offers objectivity to see the relationship along with the transitions it passes through accurately. Being too close to their own point of view and events surrounding them tends to prevent the couple from seeing what is happening. An outside viewpoint might encourage the couple to press forward.

Stages of Change

Seeing how people and couples enter, address and rest in change may assist in moving through the stages. Transitioning into and out of change is insufficient. People need to understand and embrace the full process.

* Contemplation: Couples become aware of an impending or currently occurring change within their relationship. It might register only as a tremor in the emotional landscape, but it brings the realization to their attention.
* Preparation: After the contemplation stage, couples will make shifts in their life getting ready for a change. This might include packing keepsakes, reviewing travel sites or even researching what would be needed to change their insurance.
* Action; This step amplifies everyone's attention causing them to bypass the initial stages. Whether couples realize it or not, they go through the early stages too quickly and are ill prepared for the action phase. However, they are able to act as a team due to their planning and prep.
* Maintenance: Assessing the events following the action step permits the couple to sustain a positive outlook while addressing the unexpected bumps. This puts them on the correct path for the next change coming down the relational highway.

With the inevitability of change, couples need to view the situation as an opportunity to grow closer and avoid seeing it as a hurdle attempting to trip up their future happiness. They will weather the storm by addressing things together and standing united. A growing relationship relishes the chance to change and everyone wants a thriving relationship.