Because so many of us come from dysfunctional families, it can be hard to know if we’re in a healthy relationship or just repeating the screwed up stuff we saw growing up with that seemed normal because it’s all we knew. With a career spanning 40 years, in multiple states and countries, and having worked in every environment you can imagine, I’ve learned a lot about what it means to truly be in a healthy relationship. Today I’m sharing the top five things to look for to know whether or not you’re in a healthy relationship or to at least identify what you need to work on.  ________________ ..read more

Why do relationships fail? When I ask people, “What’s the biggest issue in your relationship?” they almost always answer, “We don’t communicate.” That’s wrong (yes, I said it). And that wrong answer has you working on the wrong things. You try out all those communication tools to improve your relationship, but they don’t work! And you know why? Because you’re not treating the cancer, you’re treating a symptom, which means you don’t get to the root, so the problems keep coming back and, ultimately, your relationship fails. Today I’ll explain the top three reasons relationships fail and, as alwa ..read more

It doesn’t take a genius to know that your relationship is worse off when you or your partner are under stress. A fight with your friend, money woes, that nasty commute, little Jimmy’s newly diagnosed gluten allergy, and those long work days bleed over into your relationship. The research shows that the more frustrations and issues people had outside the home, the more stress they had in their relationship and the less satisfied they felt with it! Stress will kill your relationship faster than almost anything else. But I’m here to help! Today we’ll talk about a new way to look at handling stre ..read more

If you have abandonment issues, you have a persistent fear of rejection or isolation in your relationships. This means you struggle with trust, codependency, healthy boundaries, and insecurity which, of course, negatively impacts your interpersonal relationships and leaves you feeling anxious, depressed and resentful. Today we’ll be talking about the signs you might be missing, the core issues behind your fears, and my top three strategies to overcome your fear of rejection and abandonment.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/how-to-overcome-you ..read more

You can’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard you try. You’ve got some event or interaction from your past or future on an endless negative loop in your brain and you’re feeling more anxious, depressed and overwhelmed as a result. Why do you do this when you know it doesn’t help, and how can you stop? Today I’m answering all your questions and bringing you my five steps to stop (or at least greatly minimize) ruminating and repetitive negative thinking.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/five-steps-to-stop-ruminating-and-repetitive-negati ..read more

The research shows that resilient people do better in every area of life. They cope better with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, health crises, as well as money problems, and they do way better in all their relationships including romance, work and parenting. Today I’m teaching you the four ways to be more resilient so you can be happier in all your relationships. ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/the-four-ways-to-be-more-resilient-so-you-can-be-happier-in-all-your-relationships Take the Free Learned Optimism Jumpstart Workshop htt ..read more

He’d rather stay home, and you’d rather have dinner out. She needs alone time after work, and all you want to do is talk about your day. Introverts are often attracted to extroverts’ vivaciousness, while extroverts often want to be around the still, calm energy that introverts emit. So falling in love can feel easy, but being in a relationship then becomes hard as you have different wants and needs. So, can introverts and extroverts be happy in a relationship? The simple answer is, “Absolutely!” But how do you get there when you feel at odds so often? By following my three steps for creating a ..read more

Are you walking away from conversations feeling misunderstood, disrespected or dismissed? Do you find yourself repeating the same questions or desires over and over again, but nothing ever changes? Are you looking for ways to finally feel heard in an important relationship? Well, you’re in the right place! Whether you’re struggling with your partner, dad, sister or best friend, this three-step process for being heard in any relationship is going to help.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/3-steps-to-be-heard-in-any-relationship Learn how to c ..read more

Jealousy has no place in a love relationship because jealousy is about fear, not love. But, it continues to be a huge issue in many relationships (I know this because you all keep asking me about it)! Today we’ll discuss the many ways jealousy might be showing up in your relationship, the eight things not to do if your partner is jealous, and the three ways to help move from jealousy to connection.  ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/what-to-do-and-not-do-if-your-partner-is-jealous Grab my FREE list of Collaborative Questions: https://abbymedca ..read more

You messed up, or at least you think you did. Maybe it was a job you quit in the heat of the moment, not finishing your education ten years ago or cheating on your spouse. We can perceive big or little things as crimes that need to be punished in perpetuity. Many of us can easily forgive others, but when it comes to forgiving ourselves, we’re not so generous. But learning to forgive ourselves is crucial to creating balanced, healthy relationships with others as well as leading a life of serenity and satisfaction. Forgiving yourself won’t change your past, but it will absolutely make your futur ..read more