Relationships can be difficult. They always have been, and they always will be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can improve your relationship, even if it’s already pretty good! Here are some things that my husband and I did to make our relationship better:
Make your relationship a priority.
- Make time to talk.
- Make time to spend together.
- Make time to go on dates.
- Talk about your relationship, being careful to be kind while expressing your individual concerns
- Each partner should try to plan special time together.
- Schedule time together.
- Make it a priority.
- Try to do something different from what you normally would do.
- Try to find something that is special for both of you and makes each other feel good about yourselves and your relationship.
Find ways to express your feelings and emotions, even if you’re not comfortable showing much emotion.
Expressing your feelings and emotions is an important part of a healthy relationship. It’s not always easy to do, but it can make you feel closer to the people you’re dating, and also help with building trust.
If you haven’t done it before, try these tips:
- Tell them how much they mean to you during a quiet moment when there’s no pressure for conversation or distraction from other people in the room.
- If they ask what’s wrong and why you’re sad, talk about what happened that made you feel bad instead of making excuses or changing the subject right away (like “I don’t know!”).
- Let go of expectations about how anyone should react when they find out something upsetting has happened in their life—and focus on being honest instead!
Try to be more affectionate, even in small ways.
If you’re like most people, your partner has been with you for a long time. Maybe it’s because of that familiarity that many of us don’t show affection to our loved ones in the same way we used to when we were first dating.
However, being affectionate is important for maintaining a healthy relationship with your significant other. In fact, research shows that couples who hug more often have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of depression than those who don’t express physical affection.
Take the time every day to reconnect with your partner by doing something together they enjoy or letting them know how much they mean to you through touch (hugs and kisses count!).
Learn to listen as well as talk.
One of the most important things you can do for your relationship is to learn how to listen. When we talk about listening, we’re not just talking about the ability to hear someone else’s words; we’re also talking about understanding them. And this skill doesn’t only apply while you’re talking—it applies even more when your partner is speaking.
The best way to improve your listening skills is by practice—so don’t pass up any opportunity to engage in conversation with your partner! If they want help with something around the house, ask them how they feel about doing it and why they think they might need assistance. If they have a problem at work or school, ask them what happened and then listen attentively as they explain what happened (and don’t interrupt). You might even ask some followup questions: “What do you think would be the easiest way to solve this problem? How likely are others going to agree with that solution?”
Perhaps one of the most effective tests to see if you’re a good listener is if you feel compassion for the person you are listening to. Compassion is when your heart goes out to the speaker.
Keep an open mind about what your partner says.
When you’re in a relationship, it’s important to be open with your partner. You should never try to control what they do and say; rather, you should always be willing to listen and give constructive feedback.
You may have heard this before, but when people are defensive about their thoughts and ideas, it can put up a wall between them—making communication difficult or even impossible. The same goes for being dismissive: if your partner says something that upsets or angers you, don’t lash out at them! Instead of lashing out blindly (which is often what defensive people do), take a moment to think about why they said what they did before responding—maybe there was some truth in their statement after all!
Finally: sarcasm is an excellent tool for communication when used correctly; however, if not used properly (and especially around someone who doesn’t understand sarcasm well) then it can end up hurting feelings rather than helping them heal
Always have each other’s back.
Being in a relationship means that you are always going to be there for each other. So, it’s important to always have each other’s back.
As an example: If your partner is having a bad day and wants space, give it to them with no judgment (like “Oh my god I hate being alone,” or “I’m so lonely.”) instead ask how they’re feeling and if they want anything from the store? Or even better yet, offer yourself as their companion for the day/night/weekend! It may not seem like much but showing support through actions can go long way. And don’t forget about the verbal support too—say what needs to be said without hesitation or fear of consequences because at the end of day this person is worth fighting for!
You can improve the relationship you are in by making it a priority and keeping open communication and listening skills–and having fun!
You can improve the relationship you are in by making it a priority and keeping open communication and listening skills–and having fun!
Let’s take a look at how:
- Make time for each other. Put the kids to bed, get home from work, or even wake up earlier than usual so that everyone is ready for playtime with no distractions. It’s important for couples who value their time together to make this happen as often as possible!
- Find ways to express feelings and emotions. If something happens at work, or if one of them feels hurt by something said during an argument, write down what happened before talking about it so that you don’t get caught up in anger or frustration when it comes time to discuss things calmly with your partner later on when everyone is calmer (and hopefully more objective).
- Keep an open mind (literally!). When one person speaks about their feelings about something going on in their lives right now–whether positive or negative–the other should listen without interrupting too much except maybe asking questions here and there so they understand better where things stand between themselves personally versus professionally (if applicable).
Conclusion
We hope that you have found these tips helpful. Remember that relationships take work, and there is no magic formula for making them perfect. But by focusing on what you can do to make the relationship better, and by being open with your partner about how they can help too, we think you’ll find that it gets better and better in time.