Unresolved conflict among people can be caused because of a difference in opinion, personality, or beliefs. Are you afraid of conflict? Do you also try to keep your world smooth? Dr. Glover in his book No More Mr. Nice Guy illustrates that Nice Guys avoid conflict and will go to a great extent to steer clear of upsetting anyone. By and large, Dr. Glover calls Nice Guys generous and peaceful. In brief, Nice Guys believe that if they are caring towards others, they will in return be happy and loved.

However, this does not mean that conflict in a relationship is always a bad thing. When conflict is healthy, it gives people the opportunity to think from another person’s perspective. On the contrary, when conflict is not healthy, it is harmful to everyone involved. Thus, conflicts in relationships can cause a significant amount of stress. Unresolved emotional issues and conflicts can have a negative impact on the well-being of you and your partner.

What Are The Effects Of Unresolved Conflict And Stress on Relationships?

Here are some ways that unresolved conflict and emotional issues may impact your relationship:

• It may impact your physical responsiveness. For instance, you may feel more aroused from a one-night stand rather than a long-term partner if you experience difficulty with intimacy.
• Unresolved conflict will affect your sexual functioning with your partner.
• It might result in you being further away from reaching your sexual potential.
• Your pleasure in bed will be restricted.
• Unresolved issues may have a negative effect on your satisfaction despite reaching orgasm.

How To Resolve Conflicts With Your Partner?

If you recognize how to overcome conflict in a healthy manner, it may even work to strengthen your relationship.

1. Try to use more ‘I’ statements. Take ownership of how your partner’s behavior made you feel rather than accusing them of their behavior being wrong.
2. Be mature and kind. Conflicts in relationships are normal and do not have to turn into arguments where each individual is yelling at the other. By being respectful and kind, you are making use of effective communication to overcome the conflict.
3. Try to be an active listener. This approach helps in showing your partner that you are really making an effort to understand things from their point of view rather than just invalidating their feelings.
4. Learn to compromise. There will be certain differences between you and your partner and you will need to compromise sometimes to handle conflicts in a relationship.

Result of Conflict Avoidance

Many people tend to avoid conflict because they are not sure what to do when there is a conflict. This might be because they lack the necessary communication skills to be able to handle conflict. Therefore, when dealing with a conflict, they might resort to fight, flight, or freeze mode.

At Integrated Men, we talk about how to handle conflict with poise and grace in a loving way. By doing so, you will no longer be afraid of conflict. Instead, you will start embracing conflict as a necessary component of your personal growth. Thus, the conflict may actually help you to have a better understanding and an improved relationship with your partner.