More often than not, we are trying to correct or direct things in other people’s relationships.
By focussing on other people’s associations, we end up directing how other people should behave, while being blind towards our own functioning in the relationship system.
Example: We try to manage how our parents relate to each other, or how our partner relates to our child.

When We Focus On Other People

Love & Relationships

Instead of giving ready-made advice (which often sounds curt) to others on how they should manage a relationship, it is a better idea to direct yourself in your relationships, and lead by example.
When you become a better parent, partner, son or daughter, and focus on mending your own relationship with those around you, the positive effect starts to happen. The action of self-direction (towards improving yourself in the matters of relationships) is more potent than your lectures on your loved ones.

Directing Yourself

When you put your energies back towards what you can control, that is You, everyone benefits. We end up relating more openly with others and share our thoughts in a healthy manner, rather than giving unwanted advice.
We are only responsible for our own maturity.

Strengthening Your Relations

<h2>
 Trying to control others can distract you from your own growth. </h2>
 Posted Aug 25, 2020 <UL><LI><img alt="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/all/modules/custom/pt_social_media/img/icon-share-round-facebook-md.svg" width="37" height="37"></LI></UL><div>Source: Canva</div>I once had a client who came to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/therapy" title="Psychology Today looks at therapy" dir="ltr">therapy</a> because her husband thought she was coddling their adult daughter. But as we talked, I noticed that she&nbsp;was less focused on her relationship with her daughter. Instead, my client detailed the conflict between her family members. She saw herself as the peacemaker, trying her best to help her others get along. She complained of her husband’s blindness to her daughter’s needs, and she described her daughter’s talent for triggering explosive fights with her father.<div>article continues after advertisement</div>It was easy to see how focusing on her husband and daughter’s relationship was a stabilizing force for my client. She felt like the mature, rational one who had to put up with squabbling family members. She saw herself as the good parent who cared for her daughter, and the patient spouse who had to put up with her husband’s moods. She didn’t feel pressure to change her behavior, because she wasn’t doing any of the shouting.&nbsp;She saw herself as outside the conflict, and not a member of a&nbsp;very active <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/everything-isnt-terrible/201910/25-ways-youre-using-triangles-manage-anxiety" dir="ltr">emotional triangle</a>.Focusing on other people’s relationships is one way that we bind anxiety.&nbsp;We are often quick to direct&nbsp;how other people behave, and slow to examine our own functioning in a relationship system. If you don’t believe me, consider whether you’ve ever given your spouse unsolicited <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/parenting" title="Psychology Today looks at parenting" dir="ltr">parenting</a> advice. Maybe you’ve asked your mom to be nicer to your sister, or told a friend how to deal with their boss. &nbsp;It’s only human to be&nbsp;over-focused&nbsp;on other humans.Here are some relationships we often try to manage:<UL><LI>How your partner relates to your child</LI><LI>How your parents relate to each other</LI><LI>How your child relates to their other parent</LI><LI>How your parent relates to your <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/family-dynamics" title="Psychology Today looks at sibling" dir="ltr">sibling</a></LI><LI>How your spouse relates to their parents</LI><LI>How your spouse relates to their in-laws</LI><LI>How your siblings relate to each other</LI><LI>How your parents relate to each other</LI><LI>How two friends relate to each other</LI><LI>How two colleagues relate to each other</LI></UL>There is nothing wrong with giving advice.&nbsp;But you have to ask yourself, does this really help another person level up in their own maturity? Or is directing others just my automatic way of managing tension?&nbsp;It’s often much more fruitful to put your focus back on the two-person relationships which include you. Because there lies the opportunity for change.<div>article continues after advertisement</div>Over time, my client began to focus more on her relationship with her husband, and her relationship with her daughter. Being emotionally distant from her husband had made it impossible for them to talk about parenting together. So she tried to be more intentional about spending time with him, talking about her interests and challenges, and asking about his.My client also thought about how she wanted to relate to her daughter—when she should to step in, and when she should let her daughter step up. It wasn’t a quick fix. But by taking her focus off of the other side of the triangle, she gave her husband and daughter some breathing room to work on their own twosome. She also began to feel less <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/anxiety" title="Psychology Today looks at anxious" dir="ltr">anxious</a> when they fought.It can be useful to take some time and consider what it looks like to direct yourself in your relationships instead of directing others.Here are some examples: &nbsp;<UL><LI>Treating your sister like she’s capable, instead of trying to teach your mom to stop overfunctioning for her.</LI><LI>Sharing your parenting challenges with your spouse, instead of trying to fix their challenges with a child.</LI><LI>Going to therapy instead of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/bullying" title="Psychology Today looks at bullying" dir="ltr">bullying</a> others to go to therapy.</LI><LI>Asking a friend useful questions about their thinking, instead of telling them how to fix a work problem.</LI><LI>Relating more openly with your parents, instead of trying to teach them to be more open with each other.</LI><LI>Strengthening your relationships with your in-laws, instead of telling your spouse how to interact with their parents.</LI></UL><div>article continues after advertisement</div>Staying focused on your relationships isn’t about staying out of other people’s business. It’s about putting your energy and your <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/attention" title="Psychology Today looks at attention" dir="ltr">attention</a> back on what is actually controllable—how&nbsp;you&nbsp;relate to other humans. Because when you stay focused on self, everyone benefits. And honestly, it is such a relief to know you are only responsible for your own maturity.<UL><LI><img alt="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/all/modules/custom/pt_social_media/img/icon-share-round-facebook-lg.svg" width="45" height="46"></LI></UL>

Are you critical of other people's relationships? Putting the focus back on yourself can calm you down.

Love & Family

Trying to control others can distract you from your own growth.

I once had a client who came to <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/therapy" title="Psychology Today looks at therapy">therapy </a>because her husband thought she was coddling their adult daughter. But as we talked, I noticed that she was less focused on her relationship with her daughter. Instead, my client detailed the conflict between her family members. She saw herself as the peacemaker, trying her best to help her others get along. She complained of her husband’s blindness to her daughter’s needs, and she described her daughter’s talent for triggering explosive fights with her father.

It was easy to see how focusing on her husband and daughter’s relationship was a stabilizing force for my client. She felt like the mature, rational one who had to put up with squabbling family members. She saw herself as the good parent who cared for her daughter, and the patient spouse who had to put up with her husband’s moods. She didn’t feel pressure to change her behavior, because she wasn’t doing any of the shouting. She saw herself as outside the conflict, and not a member of a very active <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/everything-isnt-terrible/201910/25-ways-youre-using-triangles-manage-anxiety">emotional triangle </a>.

Focusing on other people’s relationships is one way that we bind anxiety. We are often quick to direct how other people behave, and slow to examine our own functioning in a relationship system. If you don’t believe me, consider whether you’ve ever given your spouse unsolicited <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/parenting" title="Psychology Today looks at parenting">parenting </a>advice. Maybe you’ve asked your mom to be nicer to your sister, or told a friend how to deal with their boss.  It’s only human to be over-focused on other humans.

Here are some relationships we often try to manage:

<ul><li>How your partner relates to your child </li><li>How your parents relate to each other </li><li>How your child relates to their other parent </li><li>How your parent relates to your <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/family-dynamics" title="Psychology Today looks at sibling">sibling </a> </li><li>How your spouse relates to their parents </li><li>How your spouse relates to their in-laws </li><li>How your siblings relate to each other </li><li>How your parents relate to each other </li><li>How two friends relate to each other </li><li>How two colleagues relate to each other </li> </ul>

There is nothing wrong with giving advice. But you have to ask yourself, does this really help another person level up in their own maturity? Or is directing others just my automatic way of managing tension? It’s often much more fruitful to put your focus back on the two-person relationships which include you. Because there lies the opportunity for change.

Over time, my client began to focus more on her relationship with her husband, and her relationship with her daughter. Being emotionally distant from her husband had made it impossible for them to talk about parenting together. So she tried to be more intentional about spending time with him, talking about her interests and challenges, and asking about his.

My client also thought about how she wanted to relate to her daughter—when she should to step in, and when she should let her daughter step up. It wasn’t a quick fix. But by taking her focus off of the other side of the triangle, she gave her husband and daughter some breathing room to work on their own twosome. She also began to feel less <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/anxiety" title="Psychology Today looks at anxious">anxious </a>when they fought.

It can be useful to take some time and consider what it looks like to direct yourself in your relationships instead of directing others.

Here are some examples:

<ul><li>Treating your sister like she’s capable, instead of trying to teach your mom to stop overfunctioning for her. </li><li>Sharing your parenting challenges with your spouse, instead of trying to fix their challenges with a child. </li><li>Going to therapy instead of <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/bullying" title="Psychology Today looks at bullying">bullying </a>others to go to therapy. </li><li>Asking a friend useful questions about their thinking, instead of telling them how to fix a work problem. </li><li>Relating more openly with your parents, instead of trying to teach them to be more open with each other. </li><li>Strengthening your relationships with your in-laws, instead of telling your spouse how to interact with their parents. </li> </ul>

Staying focused on your relationships isn’t about staying out of other people’s business. It’s about putting your energy and your <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/attention" title="Psychology Today looks at attention">attention </a>back on what is actually controllable—how you relate to other humans. Because when you stay focused on self, everyone benefits. And honestly, it is such a relief to know you are only responsible for your own maturity.

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

How We End Up Managing Other People's Relationships

When We Focus On Other People

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Bite‑sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

How We End Up Managing Other People's Relationships

When We Focus On Other People

Directing Yourself

Strengthening Your Relations

How to Ditch the Drama in Your Relationships

How to Handle Other People's Anger Like a Pro

8 tips to build, maintain, and leverage your professional relationships

Bite‑sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career