Help with miscommunication?

Who else has a terrible habit of repeated miscommunication in their relationship? It feels like we have really good times and then miscommunication and over doing ourselves to make it better, making it worse, and then a day or two later it's better and we make up. It's alright, and I know we both try not to let this happen, but idk how to be more communicative with him so this doesn't happen. Some days he shuts down and I think this leads this leads to this problem, but I am being as open and brutally honest as possible and he is too most days. Just takes a while to get there sometimes. Any suggestions? Anyone in the same position? Any one been through this?