Four Horsemen of the Relationship Apocalypse (And What to Do Instead)

Relationships are built in the day-to-day: the small exchanges, the tone of our words, and the way we handle conflict when things start to go sideways. 


In today's episode, I'm diving into the Four Horsemen of the Relationship Apocalypse (and what to do instead). Sounds a bit dramatic (I know), but what's even more fascinating is that every single one of these horsemen has an antidote!


If you find yourself on the receiving end of these patterns, remember: you still have power. Stay curious about what might be happening underneath the reaction, because every relationship will face conflict. What matters most is how we HANDLE it.


After all, good movement in relationships looks like choosing presence over reaction, connection over protection, and grace over blame!


In this episode, I cover:

• The Four Horsemen of the Relationship Apocalypse + what they reveal about communication
• How criticism starts from a valid need but turns into a personal attack
• Why contempt is the biggest predictor of divorce
• How defensiveness fuels conflict instead of protecting you
• What stonewalling looks like + why it often signals overwhelm
• The antidotes for each horseman + how to use them in real time
• What to do when you’re on the receiving end
• Why awareness is the first step toward creating better connections & repairing





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Find the complete show notes here: https://terryndrieling.com/four-horse...





Connect with Terryn:

• Follow on Instagram @terryn.drieling (https://good-movement.captivate.fm/in...)
• Check out my website (https://good-movement.captivate.fm/we...)
• Send me an email at terryn@terryndrieling.com (mailto:terryn@terryndrieling.com)


Resources & Links:

• The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling (https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four...)
• Join the Good Movement Collective (https://good-movement.captivate.fm/co...)
• Good Movement music by: Aaron Espe (https://good-movement.captivate.fm/aa...)
• Podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting (https://good-movement.captivate.fm/ji...)