“Space can be from a couple of hours to a couple of days or weeks,” says Ruiz, though he generally doesn't recommend his clients take longer than 3 to 4 weeks. “The timeframe that is being considered should be reasonable for both parties to agree with,” he says.
After an argument with your partner, it's important to give each other time and space. It's difficult to think about repairing your relationship when your emotions are heightened. A little time and space can give you each a chance to calm down and consider the situation logically as well as emotionally.
Whenever something tends to upset you or someone's actions or words infuriate you, wait for 72 hours before showing your emotions. In simpler words, hold back your immediate reaction and give yourself 72 hours before coming down to any conclusion.
An hour or so might be reasonable (assuming neither of you have other time commitments), but longer may be necessary. Generally, more than twenty-four hours is too long as after that length of time it begins to feel like avoidance.
Popularized by the romcom, the three-day dating rule insists that a person wait three full days before contacting a potential suitor. A first-day text or call is too eager, a second-day contact seems planned, but three days is, somehow, the perfect amount of time.
The 3 day rule after argument is a common practice in relationships where individuals agree to take a 3 day relationship break from each other after a heated disagreement. During this time, both parties cool off, reflect on their feelings/thoughts, and avoid communication with each other.
The 5-5-5 method is simple, according to Clarke. When a disagreement comes up, each partner will take 5 minutes to speak while the other simply listens, and then they use the final five minutes to talk it through.
No matter how big a fight might be, an apology can do wonders to repair the damage it might have caused in the relationship. It's always wise to owe up to your mistakes and saying a sorry is the best way to start a conversation with an upset partner. Remember, just apologising isn't enough if you don't mean it.
Many guys hate failing and feeling inadequate. They often don't have the speed of words to compete with their partner in a conflict. Men's emotional processing capacity is often much slower than their partner. Whilst being silent is a sign of a man's need to process it is also a way to avoid the feelings of defeat.
The 24-Hour Rule is so powerful because: Our short-term memory sucks. After 24 hours (or less), our short-term memory starts declining.
He is probably dealing with his own emotions and trying to make sense of the issue at hand before he approaches you and tries to sort things out. If your guy is ignoring you after a fight, then he could well be processing his own feelings, and sometimes the silent treatment has its benefits.
When an issue occurs and a party has a resulting complaint to make or issue to be resolved, they are asked to wait 24 hours, then put the issue in writing and submit it to the appropriate party. At the team level the Parent Rep is the first point of contact and they will escalate the issue as warranted.
We need time to clear our head and emotions after an argument. There are so many things that we'd blurt out if we didn't have that time—words that for sure we'd regret in the end. In general, we all need our alone-time to calm ourselves down. We end up looking at the big picture when we have that timeout.
"If you are just dating casually, on the verge of a making a commitment, and 'space' means being away with no contact for undetermined periods of days/weeks, and this is something you do not enjoy, then it is a sign to re-evaluate why you are dating in the first place," Kermit says.
The person using the silent treatment may abruptly leave the house and stay out, or completely ignore the other partner the rest of the night, knowing this would be upsetting. In some cases, the use of the silent treatment may last for days or weeks.
While you may be mourning the heart-to-hearts and endless banter you shared when you were falling in love, what you're experiencing isn't abnormal. And the fact you're no longer conversing with the frequency and curiosity you once did doesn't mean your relationship is doomed.
Don't let it stretch: Silent treatment will be effective only when partners reconnect quickly and make an effort to work through their issues. So, one clear answer to how long should the silent treatment last is to not let it stretch for days, weeks or months.
Silence can be a very powerful way to “be” with another person, especially when they are troubled. It can communicate acceptance of the other person as they are as of a given moment, and particularly when they have strong feelings like sorrow, fear or anger.
Silence is always in your toolbox.
When the other person is being intentionally hurtful, without regard for your feelings, you always have the choice to stay silent and walk away from the conversation. There is a point where no words will calm them down, and they simply want you to join in their anger.
Stonewalling is, well, what it sounds like. In a discussion or argument, the listener withdraws from the interaction, shutting down and closing themselves off from the speaker because they are feeling overwhelmed or physiologically flooded. Metaphorically speaking, they build a wall between them and their partner.
Use the 48-hour rule.
If your partner does something hurtful or that makes you angry, it's important to communicate it. If you aren't sure that you want to bring something up, try waiting 48 hours. If it's still bothering you, let them know.
Enter the 2-2-2 rule: Try and swing a date night every two weeks, a weekend away every two months and a week away every two years. The rule has its origins on a Reddit thread from 2015 and has in recent weeks reappeared on social media as a form of relationship advice.
Half age plus seven rule: In dating/romantic/intimate relationships, the age of the younger person should not be less than half the age of the older person plus seven years.