Written by Dyami Millarson 

One aspect of communication in relationships has been difficult for me to understand: timing. I did not want to ponder upon this topic in the past because I did not feel ready for it. However, relationships are about interaction, and interaction is about timing.

When we interact with people, it cannot be a monologue with ourselves but we must consider the others’ emotions. What are they feeling? To what extent is their mood being (negatively) influenced by their environmemt? These are the questions that must be answered ere we openly speak our mind to a person.

It may not always be the right moment to say what we want to say. When we can figure out the right moment to say what we want to say, we can significantly improve the quality of our communication in relationships. This requires patience and self-control before saying what you want to say but also curiosity about what emotional situation (mood) the other is in.