Signs you are walking on eggshells in your relationship

It’s safe to say, everybody knows communication is the key to building a healthy relationship. There are several articles on it and many Instagram posts re-emphasise this. But it is not that easy to have a clear communication channel with your partner. It’s something you have to work on and get comfortable with because it involves pushing yourself to express both positive and negative emotions.

And if you constantly feel you’re walking on eggshells, it definitely blocks all roads to clear communication. It starts in small ways and can go on to feel like you’re trapped in a relationship that’s clipping your wings.

Here are some telltale signs you’re walking on eggshells in your relationship.

They invalidate your feelings and arguments

When you share your feelings with your partner, instead of trying to understand how you feel, they tell you why you shouldn’t feel that way. Every time you have a fight and try to explain what bothered you, they act like it’s your problem. It makes you wonder if you should even try communicating anything to them because it only leads to you feeling ridiculed. 

I believe, when one partner is hurt, the other should try their best to avoid getting defensive and angry. If they respond to your anger with more rage, you are likely to just stop expressing it to them. You don’t know how to approach them with an issue without worrying about receiving a negative reaction.

You cannot predict their moods

It’s not like they are always upset with you. Why else would you be in a relationship with them? Sometimes, they shower you with so much love that it keeps you wanting to come back for more. But sometimes, they flip out of the blue! You can’t tell what will tick them off and how they will behave after that. So you keep walking on eggshells around them, using your judgement to avoid doing or saying anything that will offend them.

You’re constantly apologising

No matter what you do, you feel like you’re constantly upsetting them. And then they react in a manner that leaves no room for communication or clarification. It’s almost always that you have to apologise. You often refrain from saying things you think they won’t understand because you know, it will eventually lead to a fight where you will have to be the bigger person. 

With them, you can’t ever be completely and unapologetically yourself. You feel judged whenever your choices don’t align with their expectations of you. They withdraw affection and show disapproval, which makes you want to seek their validation and hide an entire side of you that you feel may disappoint them. You’re building up a wall because you don’t know how they will judge you.

You feel disconnected from your partner

When you’re walking on eggshells around your partner, you feel emotionally neglected and you start building a wall. With every brick, you get a little more disconnected, until one day when you begin to feel you’re in a relationship with a stranger. You feel trapped and just want to be with someone who doesn’t make you stressed over your every move.