How to Stop Arguing With Your Girlfriend (6 Simple Steps)

Today, I’m going to teach you how to stop arguing with your girlfriend and address one of the most common questions I hear from my readers.

Typically, it goes something like this…

“No matter what I do or how hard I try, my relationship is filled with constant fighting. Should we break up or is arguing healthy in a relationship?”

I get it. And trust me, I’ve been there.

The sad truth is that most men are clueless about women and dating.

Our parents and education system failed us miserably with regards to our romantic and social lives (but hey, it’s not like they’re the most important part of our lives or anything).

We never learned how to stop an argument, how to handle relationship fights, or how to make up after a fight. More importantly, we never learned how to discern between healthy and unhealthy levels of conflict in a relationship and determine when the fighting is a result of a solvable problem or a mismatched partnership.

As a result, most of your fights probably leave you acting like this:

Today, I want to change that.

Over the past decade, I’ve had many amazing relationships and suffered through many more that were plagued by constant fighting and irreconcilable differences. And along the way, I learned (the hard way) that avoiding and resolving conflict, although not easy, is much simpler than most people realize.

Here are six quick tips that will teach you how to stop fighting with your girlfriend and finally enjoy the happy fulfilling relationship you both want.

Now let’s dive in.

Before We Get Started: Realize Relationship Fights Are Normal

One of the most common questions I hear is this:

“Is arguing healthy in a relationship and how often do most healthy couples fight?”

And the answer is actually quite surprising.

According to research done by Dr. John Gottman, a psychological researcher, clinician, and author of The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work, there actually is a scientific answer to this question. During the 1970s, Dr. Gottman and one of his peers Robert Levenson began doing longitudinal studies of couples to try and identify what makes a marriage work and what makes it collapse.

They instructed couples to sit in a room (while being recorded) and try to solve a conflict in 15-minutes. After reviewing the tapes and following up nine years later, Gottman and Levenson were able to predict with 90% accuracy, which couples would divorce.

Their discovery was actually quite simple. They realized that the difference between a happy and unhappy marriage is the balance between positive and negative interactions. Specifically, they found that the “magic ratio” for making a relationship work is 5:1. Means that for every negative interaction during a fight, a stable marriage has five or more positive interactions.

If you believe that your relationship currently falls into the “magic ratio”, then give yourself a pat on the back. Even the healthiest couples fight and a few arguments don’t mean that your partnership needs to end.

However, if your relationship is mired by constant fighting and your “relationship ratio” is more like 1:50 than 5:1, don’t worry. I’m about to teach you exactly how to stop arguing with your girlfriend and get on track for a healthier relationship.

1. Clarify What You Need and Own It Without Shame 

One of the most common reasons why men pick fights in relationships is because they–knowingly or unknowingly–do not feel like they’re getting their needs met inside of their relationship.

It’s easy for people to lose themselves inside of a relationship and forget that they are an individual person with individual needs.

And before you can successfully learn how to stop an argument or how to make up after a fight, you must first identify why you are fighting in the first place.

What needs do you have that are not being met? Do you need a more active and engaging sex life? Do you need a partner who provides financial support? Do you need someone who gives you more freedom and allows you to go out with friends guilt-free?

What are your needs and how could your partner change her behavior to meet them?

Until you know what you want, you’ll never get it. Too often, relationships are ruined because one or both partners aren’t willing to be honest about their needs and make them known.

Take some time right now to figure out exactly what you need from your partner to feel happy and fulfilled. Once you know exactly what it is that is missing from your relationship, use the next tip to actually get it.

2. How to Stop an Argument Before It Begins and Get Your Needs Met

Of the many egregious errors that partners make when sparks of conflict begin to fly, none is more dangerous than to fall back on what I call “statements of totality.”

If you want your relationship to suck, then please, say things like:

You always do this.

Or, you are never there when I need you.

Any time I see a couple fighting, these phrases invariably pop up. Apart from being patently false (I have never seen an instance in which “always” or “never” are actually true), these statements distract you both from the root of your conflicts.

You are two human beings, each with different beliefs, habits, and patterns, that interact with one another on a daily basis. And one partner’s beliefs, habits, or patterns are frustrating or otherwise deemed unacceptable by the other.

That’s it.

Statements of totality attack your partner’s identity. They make claims about who the other person is instead of what they are doing or did and always lead to relationship fights and arguing. And from this place, no change can happen.

You cannot ask your partner to change who they are (and if you feel they need to, you need to find a new partner). But you can ask them to change specific actions and behaviors that are triggering conflict. So next time you want to ask your partner to make a change—whether it’s in their financial habits, their attitude, their fitness, or simply the fact that they ‘always’ leave their damn hair stuck to the shower curtain—try this formula.

First: Identify a Specific Behavior You Want to Change

Remember, you can change a person’s behaviors but not their identity. And if you want to learn how to stop arguing with your girlfriend, it all starts by shifting from trying to change your partner to changing the patterns your partner exhibits.

So instead of saying, “My girlfriend picks fights over nothing…I can’t stand it!” which is an attack on her identity, say, “Recently, my girlfriend and I have been arguing more than normal and I need to talk with her to see how we can fix it.” 

Instead of saying, “I wish my partner wasn’t so messy,” say, “I want my partner to fold up the pile of clothes she tries on before she leaves for work.”

Instead of saying, “I wish my partner wasn’t so negative,” say, “I want my partner to quit complaining about her job first thing when I get home every day.”

When you identify a small and specific behavioral change you’d like your partner to make, it becomes much easier to request that change in a manner that will be well received.

So before you pick another fight or wonder, “should we break up?” pause and ask yourself…What specific outcome do I want and what action must my partner take to make that a reality?

Second: Start Important Conversations Like THIS

Just as important as what you ask of your partner is how you ask it.

If you come out of the blue and say:

“Hey! I want you to start picking up your fucking clothes before you leave for work, m’kay?”

The conversation will be just as futile as if you’d said, “You’re such a messy slob!”

Instead, you must approach these conversations with thoughtfulness. Specifically, you must start the conversation in the most counter-intuitive way possible.

With praise.

Start the conversation by acknowledging something that your partner is doing well. Giver her a hug, kiss her, and express something she does for which you are genuinely grateful. It can be the effort she’s been putting into her work (and how it’s helped you both financially), the fact that dinner is always on the table when you get home, or that she’s a good mother, or that she has been understanding of your crazy work schedule lately.

Don’t b.s. this. Find something you genuinely appreciate about her and express it.

Then, depending on the severity of the behavioral change, either segue into your request or tell her that you want to talk about something (specify the topic of discussion—e.g. finances—so she does not get anxious) and ask when would be a good time to sit down together.

Then, move onto step three.

Third: Explain the Situation and How it Makes You FEEL

Now that you’ve set a positive tone, it’s time to segue into your request.

You aren’t going to come out directly and ask for the change yet, instead, you are going to explain the situation surrounding your request. For example, if you want your partner to stop spending so much money on credit, you’d start the conversation like this:

“So we’ve been spending a lot of money recently and right now, we have more than $15,000 in debt. I’ve been so stressed about our finances that I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it.”

Or, if you want her to quit complaining about her job when you get home from work, say something like:

“I’ve been under a lot of pressure at work recently and this project I’m working on has left me absolutely exhausted when I come home.”

Then, once you’ve expressed what’s going on and how it’s making you feel, it’s finally time to articulate the specific change you’d like her to make.

Fourth: Articulate the Change You Want, Empathize With Her Feelings, and Create a Clear Benefit for Her

At this point in the conversation, it’s time to express what you want.

However, for this formula to be effective, you must express your desires with empathy and compassion. Again, do not attack your partner, her identity or paint her to be the enemy. Instead, approach your request from a place of teamwork and mutual support.

If the change is big enough and related to something integral such as health, finances, or work and life balance, start the conversation by creating a shared vision that excites your partner.

To use the example above regarding finances, you might say:

“I really want us to get out of debt so that we can move into that home we saw the other day and so that you can quit your job, but we can’t do that with the spending habits we have right now. Can we sit down together and create a new budget where we both spend a little less so we can achieve our shared vision of financial freedom sooner?”

Or, if it’s a relatively small change, simply make your request with empathy and understanding.

To use the example of the spouse complaining about her job:

“I know you’re dealing with a lot of stress at work too and I want to be there for you to talk about what’s going on and vent after a long day, but I would appreciate it if we didn’t talk about our jobs first thing when I get home. That way I have a little bit of time to recharge my batteries and unwind so that I can be more present and listen to you whenever you want to share what’s going on in your career.”

Do you see the kind of difference this simple framework can make? I hope so. I challenge you to implement this sometime this week and let me know how it goes.

3. Clarify What She Needs to Eliminate Stupid Arguments and Make Her Feel Loved 

If you notice that your girlfriend picks fights over nothing (like the fact that you left the toilet seat up or forgot to put the lid on the toothpaste), chances are she’s not actually upset by the thing you’re fighting about. What’s more likely is that she isn’t getting her needs met in one or more areas of your relationship and she’s pissed off about it.

Now that you have identified what your needs are and taken steps to express them to her, flip the script and ask yourself, “What does my girlfriend need that I am not giving to her?”. The most common answer to this question, in my experience, is presence. 

One of the most common causes of relational conflict between men and women is that men are “fixers.” We are solution-oriented and tend to reside in a very logical headspace.

And we, (often very foolishly) assume that women are the same way.

When your partner brings a problem to you, it’s easy to assume that she wants a solution. That she wants a quick fix. That she wants you to be the hero who flies in and saves the day like Captain America.

But oftentimes, nothing could be further from the truth.

Women, first and foremost, want to be heard and understood like a well-trained therapist with a good ear.

They don’t always want you to fix their problems. They want you to listen to them. To hear them. To empathize with them. To understand them.

Often, all women want is the reassurance that their complaints and frustrations aren’t unfounded and a simple, “I’m sorry honey, that you had to go through that today” is all that is required to assuage her. However, sometimes women do want solutions and they do want your support and immediate action. But as men, we are notoriously terrible at clearly determining what she wants and when she wants it.

The rocket science solution?

Just ask.

Instead of immediately offering a solution or simply proffering a shoulder upon which she can cry, look her in the eyes and ask her, “What do you need from me right now? Do you want me to listen or do you want a solution?”

From there, you can give her what she needs without ambiguity and avoid sparking a conflict unnecessarily.

This might sound simple, but it’s wickedly effective.

4. Cultivate Self-Awareness and Always Look for the Root of Your Emotions

Did you know that 90% of your body’s serotonin (the neurotransmitter that is responsible for managing your mood and a whole lot of other things) is produced in the gut?

No? Well, now you do.

But why am I telling you this and what the hell does serotonin have to do with conflicts inside of your relationship?

As it turns out, a LOT.

You see, as human beings, especially human beings in the 21^st century with the endless barrage of stimulus that alter both our minds and moods, we are terrible at accurately determining both what we are feeling and why we are feeling it.

We will often misattribute feelings to the most convenient scapegoat we can find. And unfortunately, this tends to be our romantic partners. Here’s an example of this to show you what I mean.

I have a friend who is severely lactose intolerant.

And while this doesn’t seem like a significant issue on the surface, it actually led to a significant amount of strife inside of his relationship.

Despite his intolerance, my friend loves cheese, yogurt, and protein shakes and, for years, subsisted on a diet that was filled with a substance triggering allergic responses inside of his body that negatively affected his mood.

He fought with his partner constantly, assuming that the problem was with their relationship because that’s the only factor he knew to blame.

However, one day, after drinking a glass of milk, he noticed that his cheery disposition was soured within minutes and he snapped—taking his anger out on his partner in an unnecessary barrage of verbal abuse.

Realizing that something wasn’t right (his girlfriend was only looking for affection after all), he finally made the connection.

He realized that every time he consumed dairy, his mood dropped and he became more prone to anger and frustration.

So, he quietly set about changing his diet and, within days, the number of arguments he had with his partner dropped significantly.

And now, knowing how profoundly foods can affect his mood, he is quick to address any anger or frustration he feels by explaining to his partner, “Look, I’m in a terrible mood because of something I ate. Yes I’m pissed off and yes you’re annoying me right now, but it isn’t your fault. I’m just cranky because I ate a large burger, fries, and soda for lunch, which I never do.”

Now if this all seems silly to you, consider that best-selling author and family therapist John Gray, the author of Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus, will not take on marriage counseling clients unless they adhere to a very strict diet for 60-days before counseling begins.

If one of the most famous counselors in the world won’t even consider taking on a client that is unwilling to make a change to their eating habits, this should show you just how significant of a factor this can be.

But the purpose of this point isn’t (necessarily) to convince you to change your diet—although it probably wouldn’t hurt.

It’s to have you consider the true root of your emotional states.

Are you really mad at your partner because she’s “such a crazy bitch”?

Or are you frustrated because your boss made a demeaning remark at work today?

Or because you ate something that soured your mood?

Or because you’ve been working six ten-hour days a week and haven’t had any time to yourself to recharge and restore your mind?

Before engaging in conflict, separate your emotions from the immediate situation and ask yourself, “What’s really going on here and is it her fault?”

The answer will often surprise you.

5. Remember the “20-Minute Rule”

The simplest, but most profound way that you can reduce the number of conflicts you have in your relationship is to remember what I call the “20-minute rule.”

And the rule is simple. If something won’t matter 20-years from today, don’t let it ruin more than 20-minutes of your day.

In other words, make the personal commitment to stop fighting about petty nonsense.

20-years from today, the dirty laundry won’t matter. No one will care who left the toilet seat up or why. And her simple request for you to turn off the TV and talk with her won’t seem like such an infringement after all.

So drop it. Forget about it and move on.

Refuse to fight about trivial matters if it won’t matter 20 years from now. In relationships, you can choose to be happy or right, choose wisely.

If there is a genuine issue that must be addressed then do it. (And follow the exact script I laid out for your earlier).

But don’t waste your life arguing and fighting over spilled milk.

This life is too beautiful and too short to waste in meaningless quibbles that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

So let the damn thing go and move on with your life.

6. If the Arguing Continues: Separate, Dissect, and Either Reunite or Separate

Sometimes, despite all of your best effort, the constant fighting continues and you realize that your relationship cannot be saved.

If, after following everything I’ve laid out in this article, your relationship is still plagued by constant conflict, then you have a decision to make.

But you can’t make it in the heat of the moment.

Set aside a period of time—typically a long weekend is sufficient—where you will separate from your partner to clear your head and gain clarity on what is happening inside of your relationship.

During this time, you’re going to wrestle with a few key questions.

1. Are the problems in my relationship due to miscommunication or misalignment (e.g. being with the wrong partner)?
2. What is my contribution to these problems? In what ways have I made things worse and what ways can I make them better?
3. Does my partner acknowledge her role inside of the conflicts that are happening? If so, is she willing to work together to bring about a positive change?
4. What is the simplest way to resolve these problems and whose responsibility is it to implement this solution?
5. Is this relationship worth the pain of the conflict we are experiencing?

Think about these questions deeply. Sit with them. Listen to your gut. Write down your answers.

If you need some help working through this process, be sure to check out my guide “11 Definitive Signs It’s Time to Breakup with your Girlfriend“

And then, when your time apart has concluded, reunite with your partner and discuss the answers at which you arrived.

From here, it is up to both of you to decide whether to you are in a forced relationship and should part ways as amicably as possible or realize “we can make each other happy” and work through it.

7. (Bonus) Go to Bed Angry as Hell

Finally, a quick tip.

Ignore your parent’s advice to “never go to bed angry” and instead, realize that sleep deprivation is far worse for your conflict than stewing over a problem for the 20-minutes before you fall asleep.

When you’re sleep-deprived, your ability to control your impulses (and your tongue) is lowered. You’re more irritable. You’re less empathetic. And you have less mental and physical energy to appropriately handle conflict.

To be blunt, if you and your partner are fighting late into the night, the best thing you can do for your relationship is to walk up to her, hug her, kiss her on the cheek and say “well work on this tomorrow”, then get your ass in bed.

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