Dear Sandy

I am sorry that you find yourself in an unsatisfactory relationship.

When one feels that they are walking on eggshells, they are almost continually putting their body & mind under stress. So what steps do you take to decompress?

You have a right to be happy as long as the way that you pursue it does not harm others.

May be you could ask your partner what brings him joy and happiness? then encourage him in those areas and if possible join him in those pursuits. When we are relaxed & enjoying ourselves, conversations flow more easily ( and companionable silence), that way you can gently build the bridge of communication and eventually be able to approach more sensitive subjects using non violent communication see Marshall Rosenbergs You tube talks.

A technique that you can use is to sing along with your favourite songs, this way you can give your voice an avenue to express yourself. I like strong females like Sinead O’conor, Patti Smith, Alison Moyett. My favourite  male singer is Leonard Cohen, ( he actually spent some time as a buddhist monk) which one of my partners did not like so I would play it when he was not around.

I still have Leonard Cohen in my life, but not that partner!

I am sure others on this site will give you excellent insight to your dilemma

Kind regards

Roberta