Relationships, no matter how strong they appear on the surface, are delicate and need constant nourishment and understanding from both the parties. Sometimes, a much-cherished relationship may encounter a sudden setback, leaving deep scars and it may seem difficult to repair. Situational obstacles may affect the fabric of a relationship, but an honest intention to revive the bond can help and heal. The first step towards repairing a relationship is the willingness to work on the modifiable factors that damaged it in the first place. It may require self-improvement, introspection and understanding things from other person’s point of view. In the end, it is the deep love and commitment that you share with your partner that can salvage a broken relationship. (Also read| Unlocking the heart: 8 signs you might be struggling to receive love)
“A broken relationship fractures people’s sense of stability, intimacy, hope and belief in enduring bonds all at once. Beneath the emotional tremors lies lingering post-traumatic damage from betrayal. From appetite or sleep disruptions to lowered immunity, the trauma of heartbreak and life overhaul stresses bodies coping with profound change. Feeling victimized, betrayed or abandoned can give way to bitterness, desire for vengeance and instinct to assign blame rather than accept. Inability to focus, mental fog, poor decision making, distraction addiction and despair for the future block the healing,” says Dr Chandni Tugnait is M.D. (Alternative Medicines), Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Business Coach, NLP Expert, Healer, Founder & Director – Gateway of Healing.
Rekindling a relationship after such anguish requires two willing, self-reflective people communing through old pain to rediscover why they came together in the first place – not resuming harmful patterns.
WAYS TO REKINDLE A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
Here are 7 ways to rekindle a broken relationship as suggested by Dr Chandni.
1. Individual healing first: Both parties likely carry blame, grief and resentment over betrayed trust that needs to be processed before real reconciliation is possible. Processing separately via reflection, therapy or support groups prevents being overwhelmed navigating implications together. Rushing prematurely back together can become toxic.
2. Openly acknowledge harmful past actions: Partners need space to name the wounds suffered before releasing grudges. This may require multiple difficult conversations allowing raw honesty in a spirit of understanding – not judgment or vengeance.
3. Commit to necessary self-improvements: Addictions, neglect, dishonesty or other harmful behaviours that damaged the relationship should demonstrate long-term changes first through verifiable actions like rehab completion, maintenance of transparency, etc. before reuniting feels safe.
4. Slowly rebuild broken trust: No quick fix exists for shattered faith after betrayals. Perpetrators must humbly earn back credibility through steady proofs of loyalty, follow-through, emotional availability and accountability as victims find readiness to extend fragile reliance once more.
5. Discuss practical changes required: Both people must identify individual and relationship habits that enabled dysfunction, neglect, dishonesty, etc. and then negotiate specific boundaries and proactive initiatives needed going forward. These may involve better communication strategies, increased dedicated couple time, dividing household duties more equitably, financial transparency, etc. Agreeing to mutual guidelines prevents repeating past pitfalls.
6. Mark new chapters with rituals: Significant turning points merit acknowledgment through symbolic gestures declaring commitment to writing a new unified story together. These may involve ceremonies, meaningful travels back to places of happier memories, creating vision boards for the future, compiling soundtracks that capture the renewed vibe of the relationship, or imagined dialogues embracing hard truths in order to obsolete them.
7. Invest in professional support: Even with the best of intentions, emotional baggage unconsciously passes intergenerationally or manifests from childhood wounds in ways ill-equipped couples recirculate without deeper investigation. Counselling, workshops, support groups or spiritual mentoring all provide necessary outside objectivity and expertise in overcoming engrained relational patterns the two alone failed to address sufficiently the first time around.
With courageous self-work unpacking denial and resentment, establishment of independence, emotional processing with support, and embracing hard-won wisdom, the broken-hearted can rebuild themselves as whole for either eventual reconciliation or fulfilled new lives alone.
