Ways to keep your relationship drama-free

The average human loves drama, doesn't matter if it's in a relationship or something that should easily be forgotten.

But if you really want a long and fulfilling relationship with your partner, it's in your best interest to avoid drama as it's impossible for a lasting relationship to be formed.

Michael J. Russer of YourTango explains why and offers tips to help rid your relationship of any drama:

We live in a society that is used to “big” things happening all the time. Whether they are events, life changes, or cultural shifts, there is this implication that for something to really mean something it has to be big or dramatic.

Yet drama is the very thing you want avoid when it comes to building long term fulfilling relationships. It consists of shifting sands on which no lasting relationship can ever be built.

Don’t Confuse Drama with Being Fully Alive

It is no wonder so many people (men and women) unconsciously crave drama in their lives. Our cultural context is loaded with it via entertainment, news and social media. And the subtext is you are not really living fully unless you have those kinds of experiences all the time.

Which is total and utter bullshit.

Unfortunately, it is bullshit that is so eagerly gobbled up by the masses. And the reason for this is really quite simple.

Drama is a powerful way to avoid being in the moment, where uncertainty lives. And most people tend to avoid uncertainty even if it means the certainty of their misery. It is part of our ancient survival wiring that no longer serves us.

Yet drama is a highly addictive drug whose siren call beckons us to that netherworld of blissful unconsciousness where we don’t have to take responsibility for how we show up. It is re-action vs. pro-action.

Undramatic Ways to Eliminate Drama

Eliminating drama from your relationship is simple, but not necessarily easy. And the foundation for it is learning to live in the moment. Essentially this means as you go about your day doing things, interacting with people and your significant other, being aware of being aware.

One way to think of this is like watching a movie of your life as you live it. You, “The Watcher”, are simply observing and not getting sucked into reacting to circumstances. You are not judging whether things are “good” or “bad”, just simply observing. This will quiet your mind (which is a drama making machine) and create a space of presence that others will notice immediately.

Even the most dramatic of people will be attracted to your quiet port in the storm of life you can create for yourself this way.

Then there are the little acts of selfless giving, especially with your Partner. Being selfless means having *no* agenda other than to serve the other without any thought of what you might gain from it.

Now, you need to be careful with this one because it is easy to act selflessly for very selfish reasons. High-functioning sociopaths and narcissists are quite adept at doing this and it never ends well for the people they are “serving”, nor ultimately, for themselves.

Here are some very easy and simple things you can start doing right now with your partner that will go a long way to eliminate the mountains and valleys of drama within your relationship:

Practice Makes Perfect Non-Drama

Experiencing drama in one’s life is easy and occasionally even fun. It can happen with no practice or effort whatsoever which is one of the reasons it is so prevalent. Avoiding it takes discipline and an acute sense of awareness of the here and now. And it takes a dedication to practice living in the moment as the observer and doing things selflessly.

When you look at it this way it’s like choosing between a Disneyland vacation and taking a lone, contemplative walk on the beach. One is definitely more exciting, but the other will serve you and your relationship for a lifetime.