Relationships can be incredibly fulfilling, but they are also hard. As with most things worth doing in life, being successful takes work. Even if your relationship is going well, there’s always room for improvement. If you are continuously working to improve your relationship, it’s more likely to be successful. These 4 tips can help you make a good relationship a great relationship.
1. Love Yourself
Before you can love anyone else effectively, you must love yourself. In fact, loving yourself can help you avoid many relationship pitfalls including burnout, codependency, and resentment. Loving yourself includes setting boundaries, spending time doing things you enjoy outside of the relationship, and maintaining your own identity. Studies show that individuals with low self-esteem often underestimate their partner’s love. They are also more likely to get defensive and view something benign as an attack or an act of rejection.
There’s a problem with being at the other end of the spectrum as well. Too much self-love can lead to narcissism. If you are excessively focused on yourself, you won’t be able to meet the needs of your partner. It’s important to find a healthy balance that takes into account your needs and your partner’s needs.
2. Fight, but Fight Fair
Every relationship has disagreements. One of the differences between a good relationship and a great one are how these are handled. You may find it helpful to set ground rules for fighting when you are having a good time together. At the simplest level, it comes down to respect. If you can’t speak to your partner respectfully, then ask for some time to cool down. Some couples disagree very quietly and gently. Others are loud and passionate. There is no wrong way as long as you aren’t inflicting physical and emotional harm and are maintaining love and respect for each other.
It’s also important not to avoid conflict. It can seem easier to just let things go. However, these can build and bottle up over time. The issues grow until one of you ends up exploding. This can be damaging to the relationship. Meet your disagreements head-on.
3. Do the Little Things
Remember the things you did together when you were falling in love? Do you remember small acts of service or surprises that made you feel loved and cherished? To keep love alive, you must continue to do these things. One way of doing this is to keep dating each other, even if you have been married for years. Set a date night once a week or once a month. Go out and have fun together like you did when things were new and fresh. Do little things that your partner enjoys without thinking about getting anything in return. This could be doing a chore, giving them a massage after a long day, or leaving a note for them to find.
4. Get Help From Relish
An outside experienced perspective can help you keep your relationship running smoothly and bring it from good to great. Relish provides you with a personal relationship coach. You’ll also get a personalized plan each week with things you can do to improve your relationship, no matter how great it is.
Click here to learn more.
