Relationships

Home > Knowledge Hub >

Relationships have a special kind of way of bringing up unexpected emotions and reactions within us. So much so that it can be hard to make sense of what’s going on while an interaction happens, and also to understand why things tend to escalate the way they do.

You might find yourself shutting down whenever someone gets upset, overthinking the slightest change in a person’s tone, or ending up in the same kinds of arguments over and over again, without knowing why.

The articles in this section will help you understand what’s taking place inside both of you during these types of interactions, why these negative patterns keep repeating, and what you can do to get past them.

Where to start if you’re new to this work

If you’re not sure where to start, choose whichever of the four articles below sounds most relevant to you. I’ve put these ones first because they cover some of the main ways relationship patterns tend to show up during conflict and communication, including shutting down, struggling to talk about how you feel, being misunderstood, and arguments that keep escalating.

Start with these articles:

Close-up of a cracked brick wall with several small cracks spreading across the surface
Article #1

Why Small Things Turn Into Big Arguments

Not all arguments start because someone said something hurtful. They often start from something small. So small that if someone on the outside were watching the…

Read this article
Person looking down with withdrawn body language during a tense conversation
Article #2

Why You Shut Down When Someone’s Mad at You

You know that moment when someone’s upset with you, and even though you’re trying to listen, your brain just kind of… stops working? Like, say you’re…

Read this article
Two men standing in a kitchen during a tense conversation, one with crossed arms while the other stands quietly nearby
Article #3

Why Talking About Your Feelings Turns Into an Argument

You can put so much thought into how you bring something up. You can choose your words carefully, explain every detail, and work hard to be…

Read this article
Two women sitting in a living room during a serious conversation, with one appearing tense and the other listening
Article #4

Why Everything You Say Seems to Come Across Wrong

Sometimes a sentence can sound great while it's in your head, but then it reaches someone else, and it lands completely differently.  You notice the disconnect…

Read this article

More Relationship Articles:

Person sitting in a small social setting with withdrawn body language while others nearby appear relaxed and engaged

Why You Care So Much About What Other People Think

If you care too much what other people think, you already know how exhausting it can be. It can influence […]

Person sitting with others in a conversation, slightly withdrawn with reserved body language while others appear engaged

Why You Can’t Be Yourself Around Certain People

Have you ever noticed how around some people you can be yourself, but around others, you feel like you can’t? […]

Two people sitting in a living room, one leaning forward while the other looks down with withdrawn body language

Why You Feel Emotionally Drained After Being Around Certain People

Have you ever noticed how some people leave you feeling energized after spending time with them, while others leave you […]

A empty, white room with 2 metal chairs facing each other.

Why Is Confrontation So Hard? The Subconscious Truth

Imagine this: you’ve been replaying the same uncomfortable interaction in your head for days... You had a conversation where you […]

Receive new articles before they’re published here

Join my newsletter, The Aligned Mind, and get each new article sent directly to your inbox before it’s published on my website.