Relationships are hard, trust me, I know.
In the past, I’ve defined myself by both my friendships and my romantic relationships but found it difficult to keep either. I believed that you had to spend every moment with the people you loved, whether it be in person or through the phone. This is a lot of work, which is the exact opposite of how a healthy relationship should feel.
Relationships are meant to be about fun, comfort, understanding, and the knowledge that, no matter what, someone has your back. With that in mind, here are ten ways to keep a relationship strong.
1. Bond With Their Family
Meeting the friends and family of your partner is an important milestone in any relationship. After all, it’s very rare for a person to introduce a significant other to their loved ones if they don’t see a future with them. For this reason, you should aim to make a good impression on the first meet. This can be nerve-wracking, but, if you be yourself and aren’t outright rude, it’s hard to go wrong. You won’t always like your partner’s family, unfortunately, but you should be civil regardless.
2. Show That You Care
Whether you’ve been together for just a few days or entire decades, you should never assume that your significant other knows how you feel. Sometimes this isn’t clear, and in other cases your partner needs it reaffirming. Because of this, you have to find some way to show your love. There are plenty of ways you can go about this, from booking a date night at their favourite restaurant to warming their car on cold mornings. You should also give them compliments often.
3. Give One Another Space
As crucial as it is for you and your partner to spend quality time together, you don’t need to be with one another every minute of the day. In fact, it helps to have separate hobbies and a few different friends. This way, you won’t get bored of one another’s company or get under each other’s feet. This also allows you to keep an identity of your own. When you do have this time apart, however, you must keep from texting each other and actually enjoy the break away.
4. Speak About Your Future
Not all relationships are built to last, but, to create one that is, you need to know that you and your significant other have a future together. You don’t necessarily need to start researching Vittore Buzzi Photographer and other wedding photographers just yet, but you should have some ideas of your plans as a couple. These could include marriage, kids, travelling, or something entirely different. Unless you’re clear on what you want out of life, your relationship will likely suffer.
5. Try Not To Lie
Honesty is the foundation of any lasting relationship. If you and your partner struggle to trust one another, then neither of you will ever be truly happy. To ensure that your significant other can trust you, it’s imperative that you don’t lie to them wherever possible. You might need to be tactful now and then, but you shouldn’t outright lie, especially about important topics, like money. The truth always comes out in the end, and when it does, you’ll have a hard time building the trust back up.
6. Split The Chores Fairly
While it may seem a trivial issue, chores can cause big problems between couples living together. We live in the 21st century, so it’s no longer expected for the women to do all of the cooking and cleaning, especially when working full-time too. Because of this, you and your partner need to find a way to split the chores fairly. If there are any jobs that neither of you wants to be responsible for, then take it in turns doing it, or as a last resort, hire yourself a cleaner.
7. Get Over Past Issues
Every couple has its problems to deal with, especially in the earlier days of the relationship. Perhaps your partner told you a lie or betrayed you in some way. This can be incredibly hurtful, but, if you and they are still together now, then you must have agreed to move on from the issue. This means that you can’t bring it up every time you want to score points in an argument. A relationship counsellor may be able to help if you’re struggling to move past these problems.
8. Remain Fair When Fighting
Fights and arguments are a normal part of being in a relationship. No matter how much you and your significant other love each other, you’re not going to agree with one another all the time. That being said, when an argument does arise, you need to make sure that you fight fair. All it takes is one harsh comment to cause real damage and issues where there previously were none. Ensure you try to stay calm and always think things through before you say them.
9. Keep The Novelty Alive
The first few weeks and months of a relationship are the best. You spend hours getting to know one another and just having fun together. After you’ve been a couple for a while, however, the novelty of the relationship can start to wear off, and you begin to feel bored, even though you love your partner the same. To keep this from happening, you should constantly try new things together. Plan fun and exciting activities so that every moment together is an adventure.
10. Make Them A Priority
Being in a relationship is supposed to mean that, no matter what, you’ve always got someone to have your back when you need them. That being said, if you don’t make your partner a top priority, this will cease to be the case. Although there will definitely be times when more pressing issues should be dealt with first, on the most part, you should be there for your significant other. Act as a support for them, and they will learn to do the same for you.
Relationships can be difficult, but, with the advice above, you should have no trouble keeping yours strong.
