Letting go of protecting turfs in love relationships can be difficult but it is much needed for the growth and survival of our relationships. How do we let go without losing ourselves?
- Know why you are protecting your turf. Sometimes, it is easier to let go of something if and when we understand its function in our lives and the need for us to protect it.
- Communicate the reason why you are protecting your turf with your partner. Your partner may not be aware that your are protecting your turf and more so, he or she may not even understand why you are protecting it. Therefore, expressing the reason why you’re being protective of your turf can be an information that is helpful to your partner in supporting you of letting go.
- Careful navigation of how to let go of protecting your turf is then required. You don’t want to lose yourself or your relationship, so how do you and your partner navigate this terrain?
- Identify 3 to 5 reasons why protecting your turf is important to you.
- Identify 3 ways in which your partner may not be contributing to your need to protect your turf
- Identify 3 ways that your partner can support you in letting go of your turf
- Identify reasons why protecting your turf may be detrimental to your relationship
- Identify reasons why protecting your turf may be beneficial to your relationship
Be honest about your answers to the above questions and share these with your partner. Yes, you still need to take care of the “I” in the relationship and at the same time don’t forget to be considerate of and take care of the “we” in the relationship as well.