Most people don’t want their relationships to end in a way that is usually considered sad. So that doesn’t happen, we’ve put together a list of six tips for happy, long-lasting relationships.
Be thoughtful.
Try to find out what’s really going on in your relationship. That means taking some time to think about how you feel, what you think, how the other person feels and thinks, and how the outside world affects your relationship.
If you find yourself shying away from some parts of reality, now is the time to focus even more and get to the truth. Most likely, the things you try to avoid will be the ones that hurt your relationship the most in the long run. Trust me; it will be much better for your relationship if you deal with the truth right now instead of letting it hurt it in the long run.
Meet your personal goals.
Remember that you’re in the relationship for yourself, not for the other person. In any partnership, you should focus on your own goals first. As you think and feel about the connection, think about what you want from it and how you feel about it.
Don’t let someone else’s wants or needs come before your own. Be open and honest with the other person in the relationship about your needs and wants, and ask them to do the same with you. If you don’t, you and your partner could build up anger and rage, which could make you both unhappy with each other.
Have healthy conflicts.
Did you know that, in some ways, it’s good for people to fight? If you go into a relationship thinking that you’ll never fight, you might miss out on some great ones because the first fight could end the relationship. Instead, learn some good ways to handle conflicts and talk with your partner about them before they happen.
Start a fight by telling the other person how much you care about them, the relationship, and what they think. Talk about both what you know and how you feel. Don’t play the blame game. Instead, try to see the other person’s acts as kindly as you can. If you realise you were wrong, be willing to change your mind and say you’re sorry quickly and a lot.
Also, don’t dwell on the past. Instead, think about how you can act better in the future. At the end of a fight, it’s important to focus on reconnecting and rebuilding mental ties that were broken during the fight.
Respect boundaries and privacy.
One important way to show trust in a relationship is to let each other set limits and have space. Technology has made it easy for us to keep track of each other and talk to each other all the time.
But letting each other have their own room and not forcing the other person to do things they don’t want to does a lot to keep long-term relationships happy. Respecting limits and giving each other space will do a lot to build trust in your relationship.
Practise emotional reconciliation.
When you talk to your partner, don’t just listen to what they say; also, pay attention to how they say it. Look to see if the other person seems tense, worried, sad, angry, confused, happy, etc.
Pay close attention to the tone of their voice, the way they move, and what they don’t say, as well as what they do say. This kind of emotional atonement will make it easier for you to understand the other person and react in ways that will help your relationship last.
Compromise.
In a relationship, compromising means finding a way to meet both your own wants and those of the other person. If you don’t agree on something, try to find a solution that works for both of you. The key to happy, long-lasting relationships is the ability to find a middle ground.
Even though today’s society may put a lot of stress on individuality, for relationships to work, we need to stop being so self-centred and put ourselves in our partner’s shoes. We need to know what they are thinking and how they feel. It makes it easier to find a middle ground!