January 27th, 2018 | Updated on November 11th, 2024
Beginning a relationship is generally the easy part; it’s maintaining the connection that gets a little tricky. That’s why a growing number of twosomes are going into couples therapy as a preemptive strike against the tough times that will inevitably hit…and to learn how to keep the good times flowing.
To give you a leg up in your love life, we asked the country’s top relationship experts to share the most crucial things they’ve uncovered over the years — from big-picture philosophies to little gestures that go a long way.
These days, more and more happy couples are seeing counselors to keep their unions humming along. Here, the country’s top love experts offer up their best relationship advice for couples.
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1. Take Stock Of What Is Truly Important In Your Life.
How would you spend your time if you had six months to live? How would you think about you relationship differently?
2. Accept Compromise And Tolerate The Persistent Differences.
Most happy couples learn to live with significant differences about money, in-laws, vacations, household chores, etc. Acknowledging the differences between the two of you does not have to mean you agree with them.
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3. Identify And Separate Your Frustrations.
Frustrations come from many sources, work, children, school etc. Frustrations can come from the present and the past. Avoid dumping frustrations on your partner that belong somewhere else.
4. When there’s conflict, turn inward
When there’s conflict, turn inward to the relationship rather than outward to others. Instead of talking shit about your partner to your friends, to your family members, try to talk directly with your partner. It increases intimacy and strengthen your relations. Don’t let others think permanently thinking poorly of your partner over what is most likely to be about a temporary problem.
5. Be honest, with your partner AND with yourself
This will help you through a rough patch in your relationship, and reminds you that you can only be honest with your partner if you’re honest about how you’re feeling on your own first.
6. Don’t take rejection seriously
Life goes on after a breakup, even when it feels like the end of the world. There will be plenty of opportunities to find love, and you can’t take rejection so seriously, especially when you’re young.
7. Conflict is Healthy
Conflict is part of a healthy relationship. Many of such conflicts are inevitable, and help you grow as a couple. Instead of approaching conflicts with a sense of dread and anxiety, you should look at them as opportunities for you to grow as a couple.
8. Keep it Fresh
Relationships are often a struggle between intimacy and autonomy, and you need to remember that, however nice stability is, there is always a benefit to changing things up and getting out of our comfort zones – even for a couple of hours per week.
9. Figure out the recurring issues
Every couple has issues to fight about. These issues may be big ones or it may minor ones such as your work schedule. You even don’t like your partner’s spending habits. Identify such problems. And try to address the root of the problem. It is better to short it out once and all, rather than continue fighting. You and your partner should identify recurring conflicts, and decide on the solutions.
10. Your partner cannot fulfill all your needs
Never expect so much from your relationships. Never expect your partner to be a best friend, confidant, co-parent, and companion. Such a high expectation from your partner always lead you towards disappointment. Soon, you will realize that your partner cannot fulfill all your needs.
11. Show your love
It is good to say “I love you” often, but it is better to let your partner know how you love them. Express your love through your actions, because the act of showing matters. Occasionally, you can make coffee for them in the morning, warm up their car, or stock the freeze with their favorite foods.
12. Invest in your partner
“Relationships have a strong chance of surviving when they are based on ‘the good’ in the other person, where both partners work together to feed that good and are inspired to become better themselves,” says Suzie Pileggi Pawelski, author of Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love that Lasts.
13. Laugh it off
Laughter is the antidote to most arguments. If one of us can crack a joke or point out how ridiculous an argument is before it escalates, we’re usually able to diffuse it pretty quickly.
Look for partner behaviors that are pleasing, and compliment our partner when he or she does them.
15. Research Consistently Shows That Touching More Creates A Stronger Bond By Releasing Oxytocin.
Hold hands, rub shoulders, hug, kiss, give high-fives or even fist-bumps or bottom pats. When you give a quick hug or kiss, try to lengthen it to at least 5 or 10 seconds for more effective results!
16. Learn How To Agree To Disagree.
No two people agree on everything, and that’s okay, but it’s important to be okay with each other’s differences.
17. Sometimes It’s Not About The Amount Of Money You Spend On A Gift; It’s About The Thought That Goes Into Something.
Take the time to write a thoughtful note every so often saying what you love and appreciate about him/her. Drop it in his/her briefcase or purse so he/she will find it unexpectedly and it will brighten up his/her day.
18. For Men, It’s Important To Understand That Women Want To Be Listened To.
Men don’t need to solve or fix everything; listening itself is an exceptional gift. For women, it’s important to understand that men need time for themselves. By giving him space to pull away and not taking it personally, you allow him to reconnect with his desire for you and his commitment to the relationship.
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19. Surprise Your Partner With Thoughtfulness.
Use your knowledge of your partner to please him or her unexpectedly. Allow your partner to discover your thoughtfulness by her or himself. Curb your disappointment if your partner misses your effort. Try something else.
20. Carve Out “couple Time” Your Partner Will Enjoy.
Our busy lives often fill up with tasks. Take time to spend with your partner.
21. Before Reacting Angrily, Count To Ten.
This old adage actually works. Speak your point, but without the anger. Every expression of negative emotion requires five expressions of positive emotion to regain a position of neutral feeling. (For more, click on “Emotional Freedom Techniques®”)
22. Negotiate An Unconventional Place To Discuss Contentious Issues.
Moving from your usual location of arguments to another room can shift your disagreements enough to reduce negative feelings and introduce new ideas.
23. Love Your Marriage By First Taking Care Of Yourself.
So many of my patients say the reason their marriage fell apart is that they became depressed and disinterested in their partner. If you keep working on you, your marriage will stay fresh and vital. Start today by adding a new wedding vow to your list: Promise to take care of yourself so you will continue to age with grace and confidence by your partner’s side.
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24. Recognize That Your Husband Or Wife Is Mirroring Back To You Who You Are.
So take whatever you’re upset with him/her about and use it to help yourself look squarely at what you need to do in order to grow and evolve—the relationship will thrive!
25. Take Time To Have Some Fun Together Every Day!
With today’s hectic schedules, it’s easy to find your marriage at the bottom of the priority list. Take a walk and hold hands (nature calms), couple-cook (food fight!), exercise together (tennis or dancing maybe?) or just collect a “Daily Joke” to share. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but if you make the commitment and effort to laugh together as often as possible, it can sweeten your connection and cement your relationship for life.
26. Before You Get Mad Or Assign Blame, Take A Breath And Ask Your Partner For His Or Her Perspective.
For instance, it’s your spouse’s job to walk the dog in the morning, but you discover dog poop on the kitchen floor and cleaning it up makes you late for work. Instead of immediately placing blame, saying something like, “I’m puzzled about what happened with Spot this morning,” is a gentle way to start a conversation.
27. Make A List Of Three Of The Happiest Moments In Your Marriage.
Spend a few minutes each day briefly reliving those moments in your mind. The results will amaze you.
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28. You Can Change Your Relationship For The Better By Increasing The Use Of The Following Statements
I love you”, “I’m here for you”, “I understand”, “I’m sorry”, “Thank you”, “I really appreciate all that you do”, “It’s so nice to see you”, “That was quite an accomplishment!
29. Appreciate Your Partner At Least Five Times Each Day.
Appreciate them from your heart about who they are at their essence. Leave gratitude in love notes, hide them so they will find them, or look deeply into their eyes and tell them. Be creative!
30. Take A Time Out.
When issues get heated, politely announce a twenty-minute time out and then return with a calm tone and the intention to compromise.
31. When You Know You Have Made A Mistake, Apologize.
Few of us live closely with a partner without making some mistakes. Admit your fault, say your sorry, and explore ways of avoid the mistake in the future.
Listen with Your Heart
32. Provide Support, Solutions Are Secondary.
Feeling attached is a strong binding force in a relationship. Many partners seek to relieve the frustrations of daily life by sharing them with a partner. Really listening fosters togetherness. Many of us impatient listeners try to shorten the process by offering solutions before our partner is ready to hear them. Listen first. If a solution occurs to you say, “When you are ready, dear, I have a solution that might be helpful to you.” When your partner is ready, she or he will be more open to your idea.
33. Deeply Listen To Your Partner.
On an issue that is important to your partner, repeat your partner’s words so that he or she knows you are really listening. Keep this up and when your partner is finished, say the three most challenging words in a relationship, “Is there more?” Continue listening until your partner can answer “No” to this question. This is difficult to do but is can go a long way to strengthening your relationship.
34. Compliment Your Spouse Everyday!
A compliment is a sign of acknowledgement and appreciation. Make an effort to affirm your spouse’s value in life, and in love.
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35. Create A Clear Vision Of Your Shared Future Together.
Sit down, listen to each other and write out how you want your future as a couple to look. It’s much easier to create your best relationship together if both people’s needs are voiced, heard and supported by their partner.
36. Censor Every Impulse To Blame Or Criticize Your Partner.
Do everything you can to support your partner’s well-being, and respect your partner as you would your best friend.
37. You Need To Date Your Mate.
Date night is sacred and special and should be on the same day of the week every week. One week the wife should suggest the date idea and the husband should come up with the date night plan for the opposite week. This encourages both the husband and wife to be invested in date night.
38. One Of The Most Important Factors In A Good Marriage Is Respect.
Respect each other, avoid verbal abuse, and keep insults to yourself. Bad words are just like squeezing toothpaste out of its tube — once it is out you can never get it back in again. – Georgia Panayi, MBA
39. Set Aside 10 Minutes A Day To Talk To Your Partner.
Ask what her favorite movie is and why, ask him to recall a happy memory from childhood, ask her what she’d like to be remembered for, ask him to name the three worst songs of all time. Do it at dinner, before bed, or anytime—as long as you do it for 10 minutes every day. This simple change infuses relationships with new life.
40. A Strong Marriage Is A Partnership In Trust.
Trust your partner in everything, including purchases and financial decisions, and to bring up things with you that need a joint decision. If you can’t do that, the two of you have a problem.
Let’s Find Out What Other People Have To Say About Best Relationship Advice For Couples On Quora :
Men: don’t expect your woman to look like a princess 24/7.
Women: don’t dress frumpy and look like you just crawled out of a dumpster.
Men: don’t make your wife a golf widow, fishing widow, hunting widow or any other kind of widow.
Women: the days of going out to pick-up bars to flirt with men are over. Read More By James Reese
Men
- First and try to get the personality
- Save much for after marriage trips
- Understand her likes and dislikes
- She is much younger to you, so she may not be equally matured like you so ignore her mistakes as friend
Women
- Talk to him and understand him
- Understand his family background and the background which made his character
- Know his goals and lifestyle
- Respect his work, never ask for salary if he feels uncomfortable
- Understand his likes and dislikes
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