People come together for many different reasons but there are ways that you can help make love last. There are some things that good relationships have in common. Knowing the basic principles of healthy relationships helps keep them exciting, fun, meaningful, and fulfilling in both sad and happy times.
Here are some quick but very important tips to help make love last.
1. Get through conflict. Some couples/partners talk things out quietly, while others may raise their voices and passionately disagree. The key in a confident and strong relationship, though, is not to be fearful of conflict. You need to be safe to express issues or situations that bother you. You also need to be able to resolve conflict without insisting on being right or degradating/humiliating one another or fear of retaliation.
2. Keep outside relationships and interests alive. No one person can meet all of our needs, and expecting too much from someone can put a lot of unhealthy pressure on a relationship. Having friends and outside interests not only strengthens your social network, but brings new insights and stimulation to the relationship, too. So pick at least one night per month to hang out with the boys and gals. You should encourage each other to keep these friendships alive.
3. Communicate. Honest, direct communication is a key part of any relationship. When both people feel comfortable expressing their needs, desires and fears, trust and connections are strengthened. Also critical to communication are nonverbal cues such as eye contact, body language, and touching someone’s arm.
4. Have fun together! Don’t forget to laugh, watch funny movies/comedians and play together. Remember how much fun you had when you got together? You can keep this fun alive. But you need to make time and fit it in your busy schedules.
5. Stay involved with each other. Some relationships get stuck in peaceful coexistence because of financial or other issues, but without truly relating to each other and working together. While it may seem stable on the surface, lack of communication and involvement increases distance. When you need to talk about something important, the connection and understanding may no longer be there.
Remember these important tips in your relationship so you can help make love last!
