No matter how perfect you and your SO are for each other, and no matter how much you love one another, you're bound to find yourselves arguing over something. The trick to arguing is to develop the same habits of couples who fight and still love each other.
When you're in a long-term relationship, fighting with your partner can seem like the beginning of the end. For a long time, neither one of you ever picked a fight or carried out an argument with your partner. You prided yourselves on always agreeing with each other and never getting heated in the moment. But now that the honeymoon period has worn off and you two have settled into a comfortable relationship, it seems like the fights are coming out of nowhere. But it's nothing to panic over. In fact, according to some studies, it's actually beneficial for couples to argue and shows that the two of you are invested in each other and your relationship.
If you and your partner are a couple that fights, it doesn't signal the end of your relationship. The two of you can still love each other in spite of your arguments, especially if you exhibit these 11 habits of couples that do the same. When you argue respectfully, and treat each other like you would want to be treated, you may find that your fights actually get somewhere.
1They Apologize
Without any passive-aggressive "sorry", too. Couples who fight know that if things get too heated, they have to apologize. And more than that — they want to apologize.
2They Are Rational
Couples who fight and still love each other always keep their head and they don't act irrationally or use negative emotions to propel an argument.
3They Don't Fight Dirty
No name-calling, no hitting below the belt, and never saying anything you can't take back — if you're fighting, make it productive, not the start of a war.
4They Know When To Stop
Even if a fight isn't resolved yet, couples who argue know that sometimes, it's time to stop. I've never understood the advice that you shouldn't go to bed angry. What if you're exhausted and still mad? All staying up does is perpetuate the bad attitudes. Know when to pause your fight, and know when to call it quits.
5Their Fights Are Worth Having
Couples who fight for a purpose aren't fighting over every little thing. They know that these arguments are reserved for serious matters and ones that actually deserve a fight.
6They Check Their Egos
You have to take yourself out of the equation when fighting with your partner. You can't assume everything they're saying is against you and you can't expect them to cater to your ego in an argument.
7They Validate Each Other's Feelings
It's OK for your partner to cry. It's OK for you to get frustrated. Every fight is different and the two of you are human. It's important to validate each other's feelings and make sure that your partner knows it's OK for them to feel a certain way.
8They Find Common Ground
Even in a fight that feels like a stand-off, there's got to be some kind of common ground. Even if that area is simply agreeing that this is important, but isn't going to be settled. When you two are fighting, you don't have to agree on everything, but it helps to have a safe base to meet at and agree upon.
9They Acknowledge The Fight
Once a fight has happened (or is about to rear its head), healthy couples acknowledge that it's there. There's nothing to be ashamed of if the two of you argue, but ignoring a fight and acting like it never occurred (especially if you're both passionate on the subject) can do a lot of damage.
10They Are Honest With Each Other
A huge habit — you can't have a healthy fight if one of you is backing down and pretending like everything is OK when it isn't. Be honest with each other, always.
11They Always Make Up
That's the best part of a fight, right? Making up. Healthy couples don't fight and call it done. They always make up, whether it's with a physical display of affection, or simply telling each other that everything's OK now.
