Remember a long time ago when love was just love and that was all? Loving felt easy, companionship felt unforced, communication ran smoothly and we just… lived. These days, it often feels like we are all talk and no action; somehow, we’ve gotten so lost in all the shoulds and shouldn’ts that even the tiniest of things linked to our relationship get us all worked-up and stressed. To a degree, we can even understand why – the way we live has changed, and so have our attitudes and emotional perceptions along the way. When insecurity peeps in, you burn out fast and things fall apart way quicker than anticipated. With that in mind, maintaining a healthy relationship in these crazy, heartbreaking times isn’t easy… but it’s possible.
Stand out from the crowd of confused souls and learn little tricks that can help you keep your relationship healthy, thriving and even more solid. We’ve crafted this guide specifically for you; you deserve to be happy and fulfilled with your partner, so don’t waste another minute overthinking and not doing.
Give and don’t regret it
We’ve all been hurt before, we’ve all suffered and thought we’d never bounce back from that hurt. But we did. Look at us, living and all. With that in mind, the idea is to try and overcome your fears from past relationships and dive into a new one with a fresh mind and heart. Learning to be a bigger person and fully give yourself to your partner, both emotionally and physically, is difficult but it can take you a long way. So, work on yourself first in order for your relationship to work. Love tends to cloud our judgment, but be smart enough to recognize (and separate!) actual problems from your fear-induced ones. If you see red flags straight from the go, run; if you don’t, don’t create them in your head. Be open, listen to your partner, observe the situation around you and act accordingly. Surrender yourself in the name of love, and you’ll get that same love back.
Show appreciation and love
What’s very symptomatic of the times we live in is that we tend to take each other for granted. From the little things our partner does for us – picking up some fresh coffee in the morning, leaving you the last bite of your favorite cake, covering you in your sleep so you don’t get cold, etc. to the big ones, like moving to another city for you or else – we tend to take them for granted and forget to show them how immensely appreciative we are for having them in our lives. With that in mind, make it your mission to not only show your partner how important they are to you but tell them that, too. Being heard that you are loved, needed and valued can heal even the deepest of (emotional) wounds and stabilize a (shaky) relationship effectively.
Don’t hold back sex-wise
Sex is a success-parameter of every relationship. If sex is failing you both, you’ve probably run into an iceberg of emotional problems you’ve been sweeping under the rug for a while or you’ve grown apart due to some other issue. Remember: your partner is not your enemy, you are equals. Opening yourself sexually to them will have them open to you as well. Such a relationship, one based on trust, will only become stronger and grow. Be quirky together, try new things, take a stop at a cool adult store together and explore, don’t judge each other for the things the other person likes… sex is meant to be “dirty”, so leave the sparkly-clean surfaces for some other room.
Read more: “Watermelon is a natural Viagra!“Be open to compromise
You may be right about everything ever in your head, but you are not in real life. Sorry, things are just the way they are. Although we keep denying we’re incredibly stubborn and difficult in most aspects of our lives, we are. A relationship will never succeed unless you allow it to. One of the most important steps in a relationship is to willingly compromise with your partner on all the ongoing issues you may have. Talk even when you don’t feel like it and try to find a solution together. Be smart enough to drop some of your personal, unreasonable expectations and give some freedom to your partner. Expect them to do the same.
