Antidotes to the Four Horsemen
Last week we discussed Gottman’s Four Horsemen the Apocalypse. Hopefully you are beginning to notice which horsemen you tend to use. As you grow in your self-awareness, you can begin to catch yourself and instead choose to communicate differently. Here is what Gottman has found to be the antidote to each of the four horsemen.
Rather than criticism, complain without blame. Practice using “I-statements” that reflect your thoughts and feelings. Rather than “you are always late!” (criticism), try “I feel unimportant when you show up late without calling.” Stick to communicating your feelings and needs rather than placing blame on your spouse.
Rather than contempt, build a culture of appreciation and respect. Each one of us wants to be loved. Curb contempt by intentionally communicating your love, respect, and appreciation towards your mate. This is built in small moments each day - be specific and genuine. “I really appreciate the way you handled the discipline with our kids today.” or “I’m so proud of the way you tackled that meeting, I know you have been stressed about it.”
Rather than defensiveness, accept responsibility. Rather than deflect blame, diffuse the situation by taking responsibility for whatever is your part in the issue. It takes two to tango. For example, “I can see how I may have contributed to your hurt feelings here. I apologize for not calling you to let you know I was going to be late.”
Rather than stonewalling, practice physiological self-soothing. Stonewalling often occurs when one or both partners is feeling emotionally flooded. The only way to re-engage well is to take some time to calm down. Perhaps you can go for a walk, practice breathing exercises, listen to music, journal, or go lie down. This break is truly a break, not a time to rehearse arguments or nurse wounds. It takes at least 20 minutes to physiologically calm down, so any attempts to resume the conversation sooner will not be fruitful. As a reminder, whoever is calling for the break is responsible for setting up another time to pick up the conversation again.