You Cannot NOT Communicate
You cannot NOT communicate.
When you are not communicating through stonewalling, avoidance, or silence you are communicating. Not communicating can be in romantic relationships, friendships, business relationships. Anywhere interpersonal communication occurs, people will not communicate.
You are communicating disregard, contempt, and lack of concern for the other person and the relationship with the other person, along with other effects on the relationship. The lack of communication can lead to emotionally flooding the other person making a conversation more difficult by, now, having to manage increased emotional states.
If you are not communicating because you are emotionally flooded, take a moment to let the other party know what’s going on, take a break for a few deep breaths, or do whatever you need to settle your emotional state.
If someone is not communicating with you, try a few repair attempts. Repair attempts can be things like laughing, smiles, an apology, or something else.
Beware, repair attempts with someone who is emotionally flooded will likely fail. The best course before a repair attempt is listening to them and allowing them to process their emotional state.
You cannot NOT communicate in an interpersonal relationship.
Reach out to the person you are avoiding, apologize and accept your responsibility for the situation, and be empathic to their concerns to reopen the communication channel.