How to Prevent Your Cell Phone From Ruining Your Relationship
It goes without saying that most of us are overly attached to our cell phones. And while many of us admit that we have bad mobile phone habits , many do not make active efforts to change them, even if their use affects their relationship. Here are some simple strategies you can use to make sure your cell phone isn’t ruining your relationship.
Prioritize Your Phone Partner
This is an obvious point, but most people tend to ignore it. Most of us are intelligent people; we understand that the use of a mobile phone is essential these days. But what’s really upsetting or upsetting is when your partner ignores or interrupts you to check their cell phone. You feel like second only to a piece of metal and plastic. Here are some simple ways to show your partner that they are your priority:
- If you and your partner usually get up around the same time, make sure you say hello to your partner before checking your phone. Say good morning, exchange light kisses (damn your morning breath!) And take a minute to hug. Your day will be much more enjoyable if it starts this way, instead of the first thing you see is an annoying email sent by your colleague!
- Switch cell phones off or put them away at night. Spend your last waking minutes talking with your partner.
- You can also completely ban the use of cell phones in the bedroom.
- Try to spend 20 minutes a day without electronics with each other.
- Put your phones away or turn on mute and talk to each other for at least half your meal.
- After sex, spend 10 minutes hugging and talking before reaching for your phone.
Fully manageable, right?
Never mind when and why you use your phone
Most of us know that our partners don’t like that we spend so much time with mobile phones, which is why we tend to be cunning when we check our gadgets. This strategy almost always backfires, as most of us are nowhere near as smart as we think we are.
You can avoid hurting your partner’s feelings by clearly explaining how you use your cell phone. If you’ve had a crazy day at work, tell your partner, “I’m sorry, but I’ll need to keep my phone next to me all evening to make sure the project starts off without a hitch.” If the story your partner tells you in the middle reminds you that you may have left the oven on, tell them why you are pulling your phone out of your pocket. Often, some incredibly simple communication prevents the start of a fight and softens the situation.
Improve your listening skills
Smartphones have made multitasking so easy that most people think they can do multiple tasks at the same time while on a call. Unfortunately, most partners are not overly supportive of this. Whenever you are talking to your partner, make an active effort to put your phone down and look him or her in the eye (real human interaction! Aha!). Do not pick up the handset until the conversation is over. If you find it difficult to read social cues, you can ask your partner, “Are we done talking? I want to check Facebook, but I didn’t want to distract you. “
Take breaks
Even people with impeccable cell phone etiquette can benefit from intermittent vacation from their smartphones ( like porn! ). Try to keep your phone away from the bedroom all weekend. Turn off work email notifications every day at 5:00 pm. Or have one day without a cell phone a week (No Cellular Sundays?). If work prevents you from completely shutting down, try setting up a “minimum phone day” where you only check in at a predetermined time.
Use your phone for good
Smartphones aren’t all bad! There are definitely ways to use them to improve your sex life. Send your partner sweet text messages throughout the day, letting them know they’re on your mind. Or send in a few cocky ones to create an anticipation for tonight’s appointment. You can even play fun games with your smartphones, such as getting the first person to check their mobile to do a (sexual?) Favor for their partner!
You can also use your phones to make communication a little easier . Chatting in person is desirable, but I think texting can sometimes open the way for a private conversation that wouldn’t be otherwise, especially when it comes to sex. If writing is the only way you feel comfortable, even bringing up a certain topic, then go for it by all means! Just make it a goal for yourself to work on getting used to face-to-face communication.
Make your own recommendations
What I wrote above are just a few ideas to get you started, but you and your partner know your relationship best. Sit down together and discuss realistic guidelines for mobile phone use. Here are some questions to start with:
- What has been difficult for us in the past when using a smartphone?
- What can we do in the future to make each other feel like a priority?
- Are there certain places or times when we want the phone to stay free?
- Can we agree on a perfectly acceptable smartphone usage time?
Come back to this conversation often and revise your recommendations as needed!