THE 5 BEST TIPS FOR A HEALTHY AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

THE 5 BEST TIPS FOR A HEALTHY AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP ACCORDING TO EXPERTS
WRITTEN BY SARAH HAYNES
Are you living your best relationship with your partner? Here’s a list of the most popular tips given to couples by therapists during relationship counselling – how many apply to you?

Make the decision to love your partner
When we wake up every morning, we decide how we are feeling. Choose to wake up every day and be in love with your partner. We have control over our feelings, so make the decision to love and appreciate your partner, rather than focus on their annoying habits or flaws. Think of what you love about them and what makes them special to you. Tell them you love them, too. This will make their day!

Target the sources of any issues in your relationship
Okay, so you’re having problems in your relationship – but where did these issues originate? Maybe it’s your conflicting work schedules, your lack of time for one another since having children, or maybe your partner is spending too much time online or going out with other people. Talk to each other about the problem and where you think this issue stems from. Don’t use a blaming approach when discussing the issue, instead, find productive ways of solving it. For instance, if your partner is spending too much time socialising with other people rather than you, talk about arranging regular date nights so that you can make time for one-another.

Make time to discuss money
Money is one of the most volatile subjects for most couples to discuss. Ensure that you share common financial goals with one another and work together to achieve them. If one of you goes off track, speak to your partner about it. Try and save regularly by putting aside some cash when you have been paid, and have a separate fund that you can both contribute to to spend on yourselves and treat one another.

Be open and discuss your feelings
Communication is one of the most important aspects of a successful relationship. If you aren’t communicating, how do you know if there are any problems or how the other person is feeling? If you find it difficult talking on an ad-hoc basis with your partner, put aside some time each week (over a romantic meal) to talk about your relationship and any problems you feel you are having. Communicating in this way will bring you much closer together as a couple, and you will be able to work on any issues you have together. Discuss the positives in your relationship too, as this will make the other person feel appreciated and loved.

Don’t take one another for granted
While there are obvious times of the year to show your affection (Christmas, birthdays and Valentine’s Day), go beyond this and romance your partner as a surprise. Demonstrate how much they mean to you with small tokens like flowers, gifts, a love note in their packed lunch for work, or breakfast in bed. If you both feel appreciated and adored, the stronger and deeper your connection will be.