These relationship hacks might change everything.

Sit on a comfy couch if you want to negotiate.

A study published in 2010 by professors at M.I.T., Harvard and Yale showed that when people sit on a "hard wooden chair," they are more inflexible. But when they sit on a "soft cushioned chair," they are more accommodating. This can lead to a faster and smoother resolution.

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Start conversations with "I" instead of "you."

"Saying 'you' starts the conversation off as an accusation," New York-based individual and couples therapist Irina Firstein, LSCW told BuzzFeed Life. "Always begin an important conversation with something like, 'I have something that I wanted to share with you,' to keep the other person from feeling defensive."

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Take an adult time-out, but with a set amount of time.

"The adult time-out is a crucial relationship skill that you should talk to your partner about beforehand," psychotherapist, author, and host of VH1's "Couple's Therapy" Jenn Mann, Ph.D. (also known as Dr. Jenn) told BuzzFeed Life. "Make a commitment to each other that if things get too heated you'll take a break." To keep your partner from feeling like you're storming out on them, give them an ETA on how much time you need. "I think it could be helpful to say something like, 'I'm feeling really heated and would like to talk about this when I'm in a better place, so I'm going to take a 5-minute walk."

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In an argument, put your hand on your heart.

"Sometimes I find that if you do that while looking at the other person, it can show that you're coming from a loving place," says Firstein. "It can really soften the mood."

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