Test Your Emotional Comfort in Relationships

• Enhancing positive affect:

  1. I like being around my partner when I’m excited to share my joy.
  2. Being in the presence of my partner feels good when I’m elated.
  3. When I feel elated, I seek out my partner to make them happy.

• Perspective-taking:

  1. It helps me to deal with my depressed mood when my partner points out that things aren’t as bad as they seem.
  2. When I am annoyed, my partner can soothe me by telling me not to worry.
  3. When I’m sad, it helps me to hear how my partner has dealt with similar feelings.

• Soothing:

  1. I look for my partner to offer me compassion when I’m upset.
  2. Feeling upset often causes me to seek out my partner who will express sympathy.
  3. I look to my partner when I feel depressed just to know that I am loved.

• Social modeling:

  1. It makes me feel better to learn how my partner dealt with their emotions.
  2. Seeing how my partner would handle the same situation helps me when I am frustrated.
  3. When I’m sad, it helps me to hear how my partner has dealt with similar feelings.

Reference

• Excerpt from Psychology Today