Dear Ravi, What should I do in my relationship as I am facing a lot of communication gap?

Ans: communication is not only about talking - its about listening too and unfortunately many of us do not follow this form of communication. Explain to your wife that its important for your relationship that she works on this habit to listen....also pretend to cut her sentence, not allowing her to speak - it will annoy her - it is then calmly explain to her that you did this to make her realise what you expereince.

Ans: Dear Prakriti,

The first step to improving your relationship is putting in the effort, and I am glad to see you are doing so. A healthy relationship runs on proper communication and there are many ways to do it. For starters, while discussing something important with your partner, set aside all things that can take away your concentration from it; for instance, keep your phone at a distance, turn off the TV, etc.

Here are some more ideas:

• During a conflict (conflict is also communication) think before you speak. Don't randomly assign blames because that won't get the discussion anywhere productive, but rather heat it up further.
• Be clear about what you want to talk about; beating around the bush will lead to more confusion. If you want to convey something, be accurate and straightforward about it; it helps leave nothing to assumptions.
• I statements are better than you statements. For instance, "I feel sad when you speak to me in this tone" sounds much better and calmer than, "You always make me feel sad with your tone." It successfully steers the conversation from turning into a blame game.
• Say sorry and thank you when it's due.

Another important part of communication is paying attention and listening intently to what your partner has to say. We often speak our piece and barely lend an ear when it's the other person's turn. Make sure to hear them out for better communication. And don't just talk about negative feelings; communicate the positive ones too.

Hope this helps.

Best Wishes!

Ans: It's understandable that exams can take up a lot of your time and energy, but it's also important to make sure you're still maintaining a healthy level of communication with your partner.

It sounds like your boyfriend's behavior has changed recently, and you're feeling concerned about it. It's possible that he is preoccupied with something else, such as his own exams or other personal issues, which could explain why he's not communicating as much or as often as he used to.

However, it's important to have an open and honest conversation with him about how you're feeling. Express your concerns and ask him if everything is okay on his end. It's possible that he may not even realize that his behavior has changed and that it's affecting you.

When you talk to him, try to approach the conversation in a non-confrontational way. Use "I" statements to express your own feelings and avoid blaming or accusing him. For example, you might say something like, "I've noticed that we haven't been communicating as much as we used to, and I'm feeling a little disconnected from you. Is everything okay on your end?"

If he doesn't respond positively or seems unwilling to talk about the issue, it may be a sign that he's not as invested in the relationship as you are. In that case, it's important to take care of yourself and consider whether this relationship is meeting your needs and making you happy. it might be best to give him some space for a while. It's important to respect his boundaries and not push him to communicate if he's not ready or willing to do so.

Ans: Dear Anonymous,

1. Listen empathetically out of concern rather than to react and retort
2. Communication is also non-verbal; small gestures that tell that the other person is valued and cared for goes a long way in establishing a strong grounding
3. Mutual trust based on past shared experiences can also fortify communication
4. Set aside time everyday for at least 15 minutes to talk about each others' day
5. Use 'We' rather than 'I' will ensure that both people are on the same side and not against one another

There can be many more and it can evolve differently in different relationships...Seeing what works and what doesn't can help in improving and improvising the quality of communication...
Lastly, a relationship and being in one (any relationship) is a constant work-in-progress...You must strive to evolve and also work on it till both people are on the same page...Yes, relationship and being in one is a lot of work...so keep working...

All the best!