7 Sure Ways to Avoid a Complicated Love Relationship

“I’m in a complicated love relationship,” you lament when asked about your relationship status.

We all experience times when our relationships become complicated. Right?

However, if this relationship status persists over time, it can be a sign of a wounded personality, and you should figure out how to leave it and move on to a better life.

A toxic relationship can cause distress and long-term unhappiness if it is not stopped.

To achieve personal and emotional growth, navigate out of such a relationship to avoid draining you emotionally and lay the foundation for self-empowerment.

Spare yourself the stress.

This article offers advice on how to avoid toxic romantic relationships. But remember that everyone’s journey differs from yours.

You will learn tried-and-true methods and tactics that, if used, can raise the likelihood of having a fulfilling and straightforward relationship.

1: Effective Communication

To begin with, a successful relationship will have effective communication as its foundation.

As a result, you need to resolve conflicts and trust issues, foster love bonds, and create a healthy, fulfilling connection.

Marking Boundaries

From the onset, establish clear boundaries if you don’t wish to continue in a bad relationship. In other words, there are limits you need to have, and your partner needs to know them.

You may need to:

• Express your needs and expectations to your partner. For example, set monthly expectations, like shopping for the family. A budget will help avoid money complications and arguments.
• Know if there are deal-breakers in the relationship. Do you have trust issues? Are there traces of infidelity? How about effective communication in the relationship? Is your partner involved in substance abuse? In a word, learn how to handle these deal-breakers.

It is essential to know that some partners may have non-negotiable requirements. These will contribute to your overall well-being and the establishment of emotional and physical space.

Effective communication will allow you to understand each other’s perspectives, resolve conflicts, and avoid misunderstandings. By fostering an environment where both partners feel comfortable expressing themselves, you stand to minimize complications and build trust.

Marking boundaries will allow both partners to pursue their interests, spend time with friends, and maintain a sense of self-individuality outside the relationship.

2: Know Each Other Well

Be it love at first sight or one that develops over time, one sure way to avoid a complicated love relationship is to give it time and understand each other’s values, beliefs, goals, and aspirations.

Courtship

Your courtship should last between six and twelve months. Have these three stages:

• Pre-courtship (Gauge your readiness for what you are getting into)
• Court-ship
• Post-courtship (After which you may get married)

Not rushing into a relationship before you know your partner well is advisable.

Let this be a time to explore. Go out on dates and have as much time as possible for each other. You will know the following about your partner:

• Their tastes—likes and dislikes, for example, fashion, food, politics, etc.
• Do you share the same interests?
• Plans and long-term goals like investments, family (the desired number of kids), and views on extended family

Once you get to know each other personally, you will make informed decisions on the path to follow.

Compatibility

Know if you are compatible. See if you have similar emotional needs and values. While everything does not need to be compatible, sharp differences may lead to complications in the relationship.

For example, your partner may want three children while you are comfortable with two. You can pursue a common ground that will work for you both.

Identifying areas where challenges arise bridges the gap early in your relationship. It cements your love bond and keeps you going for a long time.

3: Be Ready Emotionally

Emotions are mixed feelings that could range from love to resentment and play a crucial role in any relationship.

For the parties in the relationship, there is a need to have stable emotions before either of you commits. Unstable emotions will impact your growth as a couple. Both of you should strive to have a balanced emotional state.

The stability of emotions allows you to overcome challenges and stressful situations.

Do you have traumas and wounds from the past that keep coming back? Don’t allow them to impede your happiness.

Heal first.

Your past should not dictate your current state.

Emotional stability allows for better communication, empathy, and the ability to handle challenges that arise in the relationship.

It is crucial to be self-aware and communicate your emotional needs effectively while also being supportive of your partner’s emotional well-being.

4: Look for Support

What happens if you face challenges in a complicated relationship?

Don’t suffer in silence. Consider looking for support.

You need to be open to help as you navigate the troubled waters of an unhealthy relationship.

You can improve a bad situation with the help and guidance that you get from:

Friends and Family

Confide in your closest friends and family. They may give you invaluable guidance, especially those older than you. Some may have passed through situations such as the one you are facing.

Balanced against this, they will give you emotional support, and their outlook on things could be dissimilar to yours and give you fresh insights into the decision you make.

Professionals

Counselors and therapists who excel in relationship matters are easily available. They, however, might be expensive to engage. Some will charge as much as $100 for a face-to-face session. The price to pay is, however, worthwhile.

By comparison, some churches offer counseling on relationship matters. Indeed, most church pastors will give free counseling to their flock to help them navigate relationship difficulties.

In addition, they will offer insights, tools, and strategies to improve communication, manage conflicts, and strengthen your partnership bond.

So seeking support is a positive step towards building a better, less complicated love relationship.

5: Have Mutual Respect

If you want a fulfilling and healthy love relationship, create some room for mutual respect. With the clear boundaries that you set out earlier, do:

1. Show respect for your partner’s choices. Abide by their desires and requests, subject to reasonable judgment.

2. Value their opinions. Where there is conflict, discuss arriving at a middle ground.

3. Respect one’s individuality. It is common to desire some alone time.

4. Avoid demeaning each other. Even more, resolve all conflicts respectfully.

Mutual respect will make both of you feel loved and appreciated, thus resolving any conflicts that may arise from a lack of the same.

6: Trust Your Gut Feelings and Experience

Lookout for Red Flags

You should not ignore or let red flags pass in a relationship.

Conversely, pay attention to that gut feeling that comes to you. Things that feel off are by all means, positive leads.

Do you have any doubts about the relationship? Address them by communicating with your partner openly. Ignoring them can ruin your relationship.

If they truly care about you, your partner will be accommodating and answer your concerns. And this will clear up the doubts you are harboring.

Bank On Experience From the Past

If you have experience from a past encounter, your gut feelings will even be stronger. You will reflect and avoid complications in the future.

The bad experiences and pitfalls you went through will flash before you as a helpful reminder.

The lessons will help you take responsibility for your growth, avoiding any missteps along the way.

You will make better choices for your current and future relationships.

By learning from the past, you stand on better footing to create a stronger base for a less complicated relationship.

7: Make Self-Care a Priority

You have checked the above six guidelines. After that, it is time to look in the mirror of self-care.

Outside of the relationship, you should have a fulfilling life as well. Life should not stop. You have other friends, hobbies, and personal interests to take care of. Therefore, make time for these extras.

After all, taking good care of your physical and emotional well-being will reflect well on your love relationship.

Visit the gym, practice yoga, or do simple exercises in the house e.g. stretching. Walk a lot. Eat healthy and drink lots of water.

When you neglect your body, your partner may find you less attractive.

You will find a fulfilling life if you interact with other friends. Go on joint trips Share your happy and sad moments. If you have fears, ‌express them openly to your friends.

Cultivating a sense of fulfillment and happiness allows you to bring positivity and strength to the relationship.

Avoid becoming overly dependent on your partner for happiness. Seek a healthy balance between your individual needs and the relationship.

Takeaway

In conclusion, you will not get a relationship entirely free of complications. None is. There are bound to be occasional flaws.

But implementing these sure ways will help you avoid a complicated love relationship.

Effective communication, setting healthy boundaries, taking the time to get to know each other, assessing compatibility, and emotional readiness, learning from experiences, cultivating mutual respect, seeking support, trusting your instincts, and prioritizing self-care are all essential ingredients for building a strong, harmonious, and less complicated love relationship.

So with your effort and commitment, your relationship will witness continuous growth.

How do you avoid complications in your relationship? Please share in the comments.

James Nduati Charagu

James is a published author, blogger, and content writer.

He writes about relationships, marriage, and self-improvement to bring out the best in you.

When not writing, he enjoys having a bourbon and coke, playing with his cat, and traveling the world to discover new places.