Healthy communication is respectful and works towards a compromise. Here are three ways you can have healthy communication in your relationships:

Listen to understand.

Instead of listening to respond, listen to understand. Digest the other person's words as they're speaking. Ask clarifying questions if needed, and give verbal and nonverbal cues that you're paying attention (nodding your head, saying, "yes" or "okay," etc.).

Recognize when things get heated, and call a time-out.

When the conversation is getting heated, take a break. Healthy communication says, "Hey, I need to step away right now. Here's why, and here's when I'll be back." The number one rule of calling a time-out is to clarify a "time-in" or when you will return to the conversation.

If you say you will talk about it again, talk about it again.

Healthy communication comes back around, so when the break is taken, return to the conversation when both people have calmed down. Reapproach the conversation topics that you could not discuss the last time you spoke. Remember to keep putting these tips into practice until both parties have had the opportunity to talk about what they need to speak about.

Give these tips a try, and let us know how they work!