Taking the bait:

Relationships are filled with opportunities to take the bait and argue, or to resist and let the moment pass. Sometimes, letting the moment pass can feel like a very difficult decision, but if couples fought over every disagreement, bad mood, or stressful situation, there would be constant conflict, and that’s not good for anyone. Finding the balance between having the difficult discussions that need to happen and letting the ones that don’t need to happen pass is one of the biggest, yet most important challenges that exist in relationships.  Helpful questions to ask yourself at these times are: Is the tension here about me, or is my partner tense because of something else?  Is this something that we actually agree on, but are somehow miscommunicating?  Is this issue worth adding stress to both of our lives? If you decide that it isn’t worth fighting then take a deep breath, have a seat and let the moment pass. If you decide it is worth discussing, still sit down (adrenaline is toxic to conversations) and do your best to stay on the issue at hand and do so in a respectful way. Also, remember that you love your partner and converse accordingly.