Happiness. The all time favorite ideal that seems easy to understand yet increasingly difficult to acquire. And while reaching a satisfactory level of happiness on your own is something that is mostly in your area of control, reaching happiness in a romantic relationship requires an additional set of soft skills to be mastered. Although each relationship is unique in its own way, people’s needs and desires often follow a well defined pattern most of the times.
From building trust to keeping the spark alive, happy longtime couples have mastered the art of getting along and meeting each other’s needs. Here are some of the habits that make couples stronger and more durable:
Sharing responsibilities A good ratio of giving and receiving seems to be a good predictor when it comes to the success of a relationship in the long term. Avoiding inequalities and splitting responsibilities in a satisfactory way for both of you is going to help you avoid dealing with lots of frustrations along the way that might have occurred otherwise.
Spending time apart This might seem like the exact opposite of what happy couples are all about, yet maintaining a level of independence and maintaining your personal interests among your top priorities can actually strengthen your relationship with your partner as it will give you a special burst of energy and satisfaction, not to mention a lot of interesting things to share with your special someone.
Fighting the right way Even the happiest couples have their fights, but how the conflicts are managed is extremely important. Being assertive and expressing your desires rather than engaging in the blame game or constantly reminding our partner of past disappointments and mistakes is usually the way to go. Using first person to express your feelings is a good way to facilitate better communication.
Making time for datesDating is important in each and every stage of a relationship and neglecting this aspect can be a dangerous move, regardless how busy life gets. Dating doesn’t necessarily have to be anything fancy, but taking time to plan and treating it like an important priority sends a powerful message to your partner and helps keep passion alive.
Expressing appreciation often Each of us has an innate desire to feel appreciated and loved and being reminded how much we mean to someone is often one of the most gratifying feeling in the world. That’s why expressing love and keeping up the rituals that show mutual love is one of the mandatory conditions that all happy couples have in common.
