RELATIONSHIPS
Do You Feel Emotionally Safe with Your Partner?
It’s one of the tougher facts of life that our emotions often take a beating, especially in romantic relationships. So for many people, to be emotionally safe is to feel like their emotions are treated like precious treasures. It’s one of the great goals of romance.
Being emotionally safe is to be, at least, understood. But that’s not the only marker of feeling emotionally safe with your partner, nor is it the only benefit.
So, for all you lovebirds out there, does your partner make you feel emotionally safe?
If it’s a strong yes, hang tight for some useful insights. If you’re not so sure, don’t click away just yet. We might have something for you to help you come up with a more definitive answer.
And if it’s a flat-out no, stick around to discover how expressing yourself freely can be a game-changer to your relationship.
You do if you have a safe space for expression.
If you feel that you can express yourself in a way that’s most authentic to you, then your partner makes you feel emotionally safe.
You can say what you mean, open up about sensitive issues and what you fear, and you know your partner will hear you out. This, of course, goes both ways.
Or, if you’re just naturally prone to giving people the silent treatment when upset, you can do so for a little while. You won’t have to be afraid that your partner will judge you as toxic. They’ll understand you’re upset and you just need time to stew.
Couples in relationships that lack that security tend to suppress their emotions. This can lead to resentment, even indifference.
You do if your expressions are being acknowledged, validated, and supported — within loving reason.
Nowadays, couples like to use words like “validated” and “acknowledged” to express the ancient human need of belonging. It’s why relationships are stronger when the love they’re founded on is not one-sided. To be loved by those you love is to belong.
When you feel like you belong, you also feel emotionally safe. You have a partner or a family with whom you face life with. Problems are shared, joys are multiplied, and all that jazz.
Still, emotional safety doesn’t mean that all of your sentiments have to be “validated” or “acknowledged” all the time. Not all problems need to be addressed and resolved. Sometimes, you can just be going through a bad day. Sometimes, you can just be stressing out over nothing. And, no, your partner shouldn’t have to hold your hand through all that just for them to make you feel emotionally safe.
Maybe they, too, are tired or stressed and just need to take a load off. Your partner should also feel safe around you when they just don’t have the time nor the energy for a fleeting bad mood.
Emotional safety means it’s okay to give each other mental space, because there are times when that’s all that’s needed.
Being emotionally safe fosters a rock-solid connection.
The connection between couples who feel emotionally safe around each other will weather conflicts better. Healthy dynamics do that.
This is by no means a comprehensive essay on emotional safety. But it should be a good start for you to thinking about the question:
Do you feel emotionally safe with your partner?
