Tiffs are common in any relationship and some individuals actually claim that fights tend to bring them closer to their partners. But if not handled properly, these tiffs can grow into larger arguments that with time can place serious strain on your relationship.

Fights happen due to misunderstandings and the main reason they blow out of proportion is when the parties involved just rant and rave instead of getting their points across mutually. As a result, the argument is never resolved and both parties end up fuming over the issue. On the contrary, if these tiffs are handled properly, they can be resolved quickly and effectively without causing any serious damage to both sides.

If you find yourself in a situation where you constantly fight with your spouse for even the most trivial of issues without getting a concrete solution for the same, then here are some so called ‘fight interrupters’ that can slow down even the nastiest of fights long enough for you to reconcile.

Useful Tips On How To Resolve Conflict

Taking The Blame

A single sentence like ‘I am to blame as well’, can get you the fastest solution to a nasty fight. So even if it is not your fault at all, try to accept a part of the blame (read: a part of the blame, not the entire blame) and say it out aloud.

No one likes accepting his/her faults and the moment you utter these words, your partner would stop shouting at you and calm down enough for you to get your points across smoothly.

Veering Off The Point

Ever noticed how a single issue turns into something uglier when you start pulling in past complaints, issues and fights? This tends to happen in a fight where both parties are unrelenting and would do anything to get their point through.

So if you find the fight taking an ugly turn with the inclusion of alternate issues or past arguments, call for a time out immediately. Break off for a few minutes and clear your head. Make your mind come to terms with the fact that involving older issues would worsen the argument instead of stopping it.

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Once you have done that and come back again for Round 2, start off by saying that the argument is taking a turn for the worst and needs that the focus be placed on the issue at hand, instead of deviating.

Let’s Face This Together

Your partner might be miffed at your constant whining about how it is either his/her problem or yours. Whenever you are in a fight with your spouse stop trying to make him/her guilty enough to the point that he/she feels he/she has to deal with the problem on his/her own.

Instead of uttering phrases like ‘It’s your problem, deal with it’; you can simmer down a heated argument by saying ‘It’s our problem now. We’ll work together to fix it’. Doing so would make your partner understand that you value his/her feelings and would be there for him/her when he/she needs you the most.

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I Can Deal With It

And then there are certain instances when your partner would expect you to deal with the issue instead of bothering him/her and vice versa. These are usually very small issues that don’t require more than one individual to sort out (for example, the neighbor’s dog dirtying the backyard)

So if you find yourself fighting with your spouse over a trivial issue which he/she is least interested in, try using words like ‘I will take care of it. Don’t worry’ to calm him/her down and make him/her understand that you would not trouble him/her with petty issues like these in the future. In case of the above mentioned example, you can have a talk with the neighbors and try sorting out the issue yourself unless your partner wants to butt in and take care of things.

Say Please

One of the first things that is forgotten during an argument is empathy. It doesn’t hurt to request your partner to listen to your side of the argument, or reciprocate his/her point of view as and when he/she requests you to do so.

Instead of hurling abuses at each other, try using phrases like ‘Please listen to me’ or ‘Please try to understand’, can help both parties come to terms with the issue and the best possible solution at hand.

Say I Love You

These words can not only send your spouse swooning to the ground, but can also silence him/her in the middle of an argument. Reminding him/her how much you love him/her in the middle of a heated argument can make him/her stop midway and try to come to terms with the seriousness of the issue. Most important of all, he/she would realize just how affected you are by the argument and so would probably cool down and start talking rationally.