2020 brought sweeping changes to our work lives, a complete one-eighty to our social lives, and increased friction to our love lives. While we hope the world will go back to normal in 2021, we might also wonder if “normal” will look the same as when we left it behind. Some changes could be worth holding on to.
Learning how to navigate relationships in very close quarters effectively has been one of the greatest challenges of this year. If you are still figuring out how to make your relationship stronger in the new year, let these lessons be your first step on the road back to fulfillment.
15 Tips on How To Make a Relationship Strong
It’s no secret that happy relationships take work, but a relationship is not a job. It’s an immeasurable gift that needs to be valued in order to continue being a positive influence.
The “work” that goes into a relationship requires consciously choosing to prioritize your partnership and opening yourself up to the benefits that come with it.
Over time, the novelty and butterflies of a new relationship will wear off. What do you do when the honeymoon phase is over, and that spark is harder to find?
Start by implementing these relationship tips, and soon, you’ll see a positive change in your overall satisfaction.
1. Schedule Communication
Good communication is an essential part of a healthy long-term relationship.
One of the easiest ways to distinguish your relationship from its day-to-day challenges is to create boundaries around when you deal with the hard stuff.
Scheduling check-ins daily or weekly to discuss the things that require extra attention ensures that these concerns are addressed before they become problems while also keeping these conversations from interfering with your relaxation time.
2. Learn each other’s love languages
There are five main love languages:
- Physical touch
- Receiving gifts
- Quality time
- Words of affirmation
- Acts of service
You might not have realized how much you missed cuddling or might not know why your partner always wants to hold hands, but these are both signs that your love life thrives on physical affection.
Implementing little unspoken — or spoken — reminders that your significant other is loved is a phenomenal way to make sure your relationship is an ever-present part of your daily lives.
3. Put away the technology
You’ve heard it a thousand times. Put away your phone during mealtimes.
This isn’t just a tired expression. Active listening and eye contact are incredibly important to maintaining a positive romantic relationship, and technology can get in the way of good communication.
4. Get active together
Working out isn’t just great for your physical health; it’s also fantastic for your emotional health and overall positivity.
Regularly doing something active with your partner is a great way to stay in shape and support each other while making physical activity an invaluable routine for happy couples.
5. Practice Appreciation
When is the last time you told your partner specifically what you appreciate about them?
Regularly reminding yourself — and your partner — what you appreciate about your relationship can help you focus on the positives and better weather the negatives.
Remember, your partner can’t read your mind, so if you don’t make time to remind them on a regular basis, they might not realize how much you love the little things they do for you. Tell them!
6. Plan fun Date nights
Spending time with your loved one and having fun together is why you decided to do this in the first place. Remind yourselves of the magic in your relationship by planning something fun for just the two of you every once in a while.
Revisit the nostalgia of your first date by ordering take out from your favorite restaurant, or rekindle the novelty by trying out that new hobby you’ve been considering together.
7. Offer Support
Supporting one another is one of the most significant benefits of a healthy relationship.
Be there for your spouse. Make sure that they know you want to help, or just give them space and validation to figure things out for themselves.
Remember that you are a team, and working together will make every part of your life more bearable.
8. Make time for yourself
Giving each other space for alone time and cultivating other friendships is incredibly important to your individual mental and emotional health.
After all, there is truth to the old maxim: absence makes the heart grow fonder.
9. Explore and Play Together
This goes hand-in-hand with bringing back the novelty. Do something new together once in a while, and remember not to take everything so seriously. Half of the point is to have fun!
10. Be Vulnerable
Human connection is having the courage to be vulnerable and open yourself up. You may not be perfect, but that does not make you undeserving of love.
You love your spouse for their imperfections as much as for their perfections. Remember that your faults are a part of you as well, and that’s okay. Accepting yourself as you are is as essential as trying to be the best version of yourself.
We’re all just works in progress, but we can still be loved along the way.
11. Use “I” Statements
When things don’t work out, approach the problem from your perspective. Say, “I don’t appreciate when…” or “It hurts me when…” rather than pointing fingers and assigning blame.
Chances are, your partner did not intend to make you feel this way and will be more than willing to help find a compromise that works for both of you.
12. Set Mutual Goals
While you cannot make decisions for your partner, you should still work as a team. Set goals for the two of you to work towards together, and you’ll likely find out that you really appreciate having someone in your corner when life gets difficult.
13. Be Curious
You can’t learn more without being curious about something, and even if you’ve been together for years, there is always more for you to discover about each other — and yourselves.
Be curious about everything from the little, day-to-day occurrences, to the big discoveries that people only make about themselves after years of contemplation.
Be open to the idea that your partner is ever-changing and commit yourself to loving every version of them.
14. Disagreements are OK
The secret to a good relationship is not to never argue. In fact, if you don’t have a disagreement every once in a while, you probably aren’t addressing your relationship problems at all.
When you do have an argument, make sure to approach the problem as a compromise. Find a solution that works for both of you, and remember that inevitably, you are on the same team, and one person cannot do it all.
15. You’re not in this alone
If you’ve tried many of the above techniques and it still isn’t working or want more advice for making it work, Dr. Jeanne can help.
Years of experience in clinical psychology and various counseling services make her perfectly equipped to help solve your relational problems. Agreeing to seek out help can be the strongest decision you make together as a couple.
How Can a Counselor Help Make a Relationship Strong?
Relationship coaching/counseling is the best way to take your relationship from good to great.
Dr. Jeanne is a relationship expert specializing in relationships of all kinds, with an emphasis on healing and growth. With her coaching, you will receive actionable solutions you can implement right away.
Even the best relationships can benefit from coaching/counseling services, and with expert advice, you can cultivate the relationship you both need and build it to last.
