At some point or another, we’ve all been told to just go with the flow. Sometimes the advice is great and works out, and sometimes it makes you want to scream and pull your hair out.
But what does it mean to go with the flow in relationships?
Relationships are a large part of our lives. Relationships take hard work and a lot of patience. Is it possible to go with the flow of life and still put in the time and emotion needed to make your relationship work?
Teeanime want to tell you what I think about going with the flow. In this article, we’ll talk about how going with the flow can help your relationship, as well as the risks that come with this “laid-back” approach.
What does going with the flow mean?
‘Going with the flow’ is defined by a quick Google search. It means to do what other people do or agree with other people because that is the easiest thing to do.
Now I know why the phrase can make people want to scream and rip out their hair.
Going along with what everyone else is doing doesn’t mean you’ll have an easier time, and no two relationships are exactly the same.
Instead, I’d like to talk about what I think it means to “go with the flow.”
When I think about going with the flow, I think less about being relaxed and carefree and more about being flexible and able to roll with the punches.
Let me give you an example
Moving to a new country really tested my patience. I was used to the way I lived, but in my new country, everything is done completely differently. From when stores open to how to act when eating with family, it was a shock to my system.
During those first few months, I was often told to stop worrying about every little problem and just go with the flow.
“It’ll make your life easier,” I was told. And it did. But I wasn’t able to embrace the process and grow as a person until I found a flow that I was happy with.
I learned to deal with things that were out of my hands. I learned to be open to changes in my plans and, instead of getting upset, to look for ways to adjust and keep going.
Instead, it meant that I had to give up some of my unhealthy expectations and learn to be more flexible and resilient. As a result, I’ve started integrating into this new culture in a much more positive way.
So what does this mean for going with the flow in a relationship?
Troublesome relationships. Some couples fall into their groove quickly, while others must modify, rearrange, and compromise.
I started adopting my idea of going with the flow in my relationship. While it’s not a cure-all, it helps me respond to events more healthily.
Ideapod’s founder Justin Brown highlights this in his video on ‘How to enter the flow state.’
Brown says that many people try to go with the flow or attain a flow state by giving up responsibilities and focusing on the future.
He then talks about the three main ways to get into your flow state, and none of them involve stepping back from your goals or responsibilities.
So, it would be wrong to think that the dictionary definition of “going with the flow” would work in relationships.
For a relationship to work, you need to think about what you want out of it and work hard to build it with your partner.
Going with the flow in your relationship means that you are much more open to growth and change, to letting go of things that aren’t important, and to embracing the things that are in your control.
I think it has changed how I handle stressful situations, and in my relationship, I’m much better at dealing with the unexpected.
Let’s look at how going with the flow can really help your relationship so you can understand this better.
How can going with the flow benefit your relationship?
Managing your expectations
We all have expectations that we have built up. From the time we were young, our parents, society, and religions all taught us how we think the world should be.
Expectations are normal, but how we handle them, especially when it comes to our partners, can be dangerous.
More opportunities for new experiences
When you learn to let go of unrealistic expectations and your ideas of the perfect relationship, you automatically open the door to embracing the unknown. This can be as simple as going on a date or as big as who you end up with.
A great example of this is a situation that all of us have been in at some point. You plan a great date with your partner, but something unexpected comes up and ruins the whole thing.
How you handle the situation will determine if the evening is really ruined or if it can be changed and made better with some creative thinking.
A person who “goes with the flow” will try to improve the situation, come up with a new, even better plan, and laugh off the failures of the first date. That’s because they know what they want and are sure of it.
They want to have a good time with their partner at the end of the night, so instead of making things worse, they prefer to go with the flow and think outside the box. This way, the date won’t be a waste, and neither person will feel let down when they get home.
There will be less anger and stress.
Along the same lines as the last point, letting go of things you can’t change can help you feel much less stressed and can also lead to new, unexpected ideas.
We are always juggling our responsibilities in our relationships and in our personal lives. Most of them are in our hands, and we know how to deal with the things we face every day.
But sometimes life throws a wrench in the works, usually something we can’t do much about or nothing at all. In relationships, this is often a partner’s behavior or habits that we can’t change but that still annoy us.
When you can figure out what you can control and what you can’t, you’re already one step closer to reducing your stress.
When you accept what you can’t change and try to make the best of situations you can’t change, you can focus your energy on the things you can change.
This means that you can spend more time making happy memories with your partner instead of worrying about small problems.
More time to focus on what really matters
When you learn to let go of the little things, you have a lot more time, energy, and thoughts for the things that really matter.
It can be hard to do this, because when two grown-ups combine their lives, it can be hard for both of them to adjust to the other.
Focusing on the big picture and going with the flow when it comes to small problems or situations will make your relationship feel less cluttered and stressful.
This habit or way of thinking will not only make your relationship better, but it will also give you more freedom at work, with your personal goals, and with your friends.
You become more resilient
Once you can really go with the flow, it’s much easier to get back on your feet after a setback.
You’ll already be used to focusing on what you can change and what’s important to you, and it will be easier for you to deal with things you can’t change.
To stay alive, you have to be able to change. It’s what people have done since the beginning of time, and even though our ways of living and getting along have changed, the stresses of everyday life can still have a big effect on us.
So, if you’re open to change and willing to adapt to your relationship or any problems that will happen, you’ll find that you’re able to handle the hard parts of life and love better and better.
Accepting the things you can’t change
Have you ever been upset about something you couldn’t change, even though you knew it was out of your hands?
It’s a trap that’s easy to fall into, but it doesn’t help solve the problem. The problem with this answer is that you’ll always be at the mercy of things you can’t change.
If you let your feelings take over, it will be harder for you to think clearly and logically. If this happens often in a relationship, it can make or break the relationship.
Instead, if you can accept the things you can’t change, you’ll feel less stressed and be more in touch with your feelings and thoughts. It’s normal to feel upset or angry, but what matters most is how you deal with and use those feelings.
In real life, this means the difference between fighting with your partner when the car breaks down or being able to take a step back and focus on the problem itself instead of putting your feelings on your partner.
You learn to embrace the moment
If you really go with the flow, you’ll make it easier for yourself to be more in the moment. You’ll be able to pay attention to what’s happening right now instead of getting upset about small things or worrying about things you can’t change.
This means you can spend more time with your partner or family, and it will be better time. You’ll be able to make the most of the time you spend together instead of being distracted by your thoughts and feelings.
When there are disagreements or tensions in the relationship, you’ll be able to give your full attention to the problem at hand instead of getting distracted by small things.
Being in the moment lets you keep things in perspective, think clearly, work hard, and pay full attention to what’s going on with your partner in every moment you spend together.
There is a thin line between “going with the flow” and “not caring about how you feel.”
Going with the flow can be a great way to approach relationships and make the most of your time with your partner, but there is a fine line between being easy-going and losing yourself in the process.
Going with the flow is all about making a relationship where both people are open to change and know a lot about themselves and their partner.
If you’re willing to go with the flow and adjust to what comes your way, it will be much easier to deal with the inevitable hurdles and problems you’ll face along the way.
What it doesn’t mean is dismissing your feelings, desires or needs.
People often think that “going with the flow” means being easy-going, carefree, and happy to do what everyone else does. This way of thinking can hurt your feelings, keep you from getting what you need, and ignore what you want.
As a person, you need to have your basic needs met first before you can feel safe and happy enough to keep growing and developing the relationship.
If a relationship doesn’t let you be your true self, it won’t be long before your frustration and feeling like you’ve lost yourself will be too much.
For example, you need to be able to talk with your partner about a serious situation that has hurt you deeply.
It wouldn’t help to just go with the flow, because your anger and hurt will eventually come out in a way that could hurt the relationship even more.
The key is to find a balance between being clear about what’s important to you and being willing to try new things that might not feel comfortable at first but will help your relationship grow.
Final thoughts
There’s a lot more to making a relationship work than just being easygoing when it comes to going with the flow.
I think that the saying “go with the flow” can be changed, improved, and shaped to help us in our lives and relationships.
So, ask yourself: Can I use any parts of going with the flow to help my relationship?
Because of the benefits listed above, a more positive attitude toward an old familiar saying might help you go with the flow of your relationship and enjoy it.
Thanks for reading!
