The Relationships Series: Emotional Awareness
Great relationships rely on emotional awareness.
Understanding your own feelings and your partner’s feelings lays the foundation for deep, meaningful connections.
That might sound obvious, but so many relationships suffer due to a lack of emotional awareness.
In order for relationships to work you need to communicate effectively. That means honesty and it’s hard to be honest if …
You’re not attuned to your emotions.
When you're attuned to your own emotions, you can express your needs and desires clearly, while also listening to your partner's feelings with empathy.
Emotional awareness allows for empathy, which is all about stepping into each other's shoes! When you recognize and validate each other's emotions, you strengthen your bond.
But in order to understand your partner's feelings you need to connect to your own.
Every relationship faces challenges, but emotional awareness equips you to navigate them with grace as you resolve conflicts.
When conflicts arise, acknowledging and managing your emotions helps prevent misunderstandings and promotes peaceful resolution.
At the heart of love there's emotional intimacy.
Being in tune with your emotions enables you to connect on a deeper level. Sharing vulnerabilities is what builds trust and strengthens your emotional bond.
If you want strong relationships but you’re not sure how you’re doing in the area of emotional awareness ask yourself these questions*:
Are you able to really feel your emotions?
Do you know that your emotions are important?
Do you know how to communicate your emotions vulnerably in a way that people can hear you?
Can you show care towards both your own and others' emotions?
Are you able to distinguish between emotions and practical considerations?
If you feel like you could use some work around emotional awareness, I’m here to help!
*The list of questions around emotional awareness is taken from the Somatica® literature.