Picture this: You're sitting on the train on the way to work one day, and you're completely glued to your phone. Since you're not constantly with your significant other, you text each other 24/7, and honestly? It can be a little draining. Maybe they just want to know that you're safe all the time, and that's sweet! But whatever the case, learning how to create healthy texting habits in your relationship might be a good way to practice self-care. Because seriously, taking a break every now and then can certainly be a good thing.
Listen, I totally get that a lot of relationships in today's world rely heavily on texting. Trust me, my fiancé is a firefighter and is gone for 24 hours at a time, and texting is our main form of communication on those days. But on the other hand, having to constantly text someone might make you neglect other, important areas of your life. More so, if the reason you're constantly texting your partner is due to mistrust, that's something that needs to be addressed.
So, how do you find the balance between being there for your partner and communicating well, but also not being attached to your phone 24/7? It's hard, but it's also totally possible, babes.
Maybe you're in a long-distance relationship, or maybe you're both super busy with work. Whatever the case, if you're starting to feel like you're drowning in messages, then you need to talk to your significant other.
You don't want to hurt their feelings, but you've got to set boundaries. Sure, it's fun and exciting when it's new; relationship and etiquette expert April Masini told Elite Daily that it's common for new couples to text more. "If you're dating someone and it's a new relationship, you may be communicating multiple times a day because romance is strong and you're both chatty, or you may be communicating a few times a week because you're both playing the field and there's no real commitment yet," she said.
But still, even if you're in the honeymoon phase, you need to talk to your partner about how often you're comfortable texting them, according to your needs and your schedule.
It's so important to be open and honest in a relationship, so if one day you just aren't in the mood to text your SO anymore, let them know. Send them a message that says something like "taking a phone break, talk later?" Be kind, but honest.
So just tell your partner that you'd rather not text as much. They could feel the same way, and then you can relax some more.
This can be hard, but if you feel like you're upset and hurt, try to wait until you can talk in person, or at least on the phone rather than texting your partner. Fighting over text isn't the best idea, and it should definitely be avoided if possible.
Jasbina Ahluwalia, relationship expert and matchmaker, told Elite Daily that it's smart to try and avoid a texting fight. "Texting in the heat of the moment can result in shooting off hurtful comments you don’t really mean, and perhaps would never say face-to-face, but can’t erase," Ahluwalia said.
If you aren't texting 24/7, but you still want to show your partner you're thinking about them, then it can't hurt to shoot them a "how's it going?" text while they're at work.
Or, if you're away from your partner and you're feeling a little sexy, try sending them a dirty text. LeslieBeth Wish, Ed.D., a licensed psychotherapist and author, told Elite Daily that "It's almost worry-free sexual responsiveness!” Additionally, "sexting can be a very good way to try out your feelings for someone. You can also discover what your partner likes sexually, as well as get a peek into his or her often hidden character. For example, does your sexting partner want you to fantasize that you are being a submissive?”
At the end of the day, it's all about what works best for you. But, if your partner wants you to text them more than you're comfortable with, or more than you have time for, let them know. Take what these experts had to say, and come to a scenario that works best for both of you. Good communication is crucial to a healthy relationship, and texting can be a great tool to help achieve just that.
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