Growth is eternal. If you want to continue to evolve and improve your life, you should be looking to elevate every aspect of it. In other words, you should be striving to be healthier in all ways: your body, mind, career and — perhaps most of all — your relationships.
This last facet of life may be the most fulfilling of all, especially when it comes to the relationship with your significant other; after all, this is your life partner. Anything you can do to build a healthier bond can lead to years of more satisfying experiences and a deeper connection.
While that’s all well and good, it may seem like it’s a lot easier said than done. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. In many ways, it’s the little things that matter most. With all this in mind, here are three everyday tips to help you establish a healthy relationship.
Making Time for Each Other
Nowadays, everyone is busy — or at least that’s the reason everyone gives to their friends, family and spouse for why they can’t go to this event or even sit down for a quick cup of coffee. But the very fact that everyone is always busy is why it’s such a bad excuse. If something is important, you’ll inevitably make time for it — and this is something we all know. So, the too busy excuse always feels like you’re saying, “I have other priorities.”
Though this is somewhat natural — and it’s good to have priorities — it’s also why, as cliché as it has become, you should make sure to have regular date nights with your partner. Put it on a calendar. Never postpone. Because unless you schedule it and stick to it, something else will always come up — and nothing is more important than making time for one another.
Showing You Care
Gift-giving can be stressful. People never know what to get and worry about not spending enough — or perhaps spending too much. The former usually applies in the dating phase, but things change when you have a household budget to keep and your wife might get upset when you splurge.
Really, though, this should never be about money. Giving presents should be about showing your partner you care and that you are thinking about them. This is why gifts are better when given spontaneously rather than for a holiday or special event. Indeed, if you surprise her with a little black dress or lingerie on a random Wednesday, it will let her know you want to keep the romance alive. Or, maybe you go with something practical instead that shows you want to make her life easier.
Regardless of the gift, the message is the same: “I was thinking about you and I care about you.” And in a healthy relationship, that’s what people want to hear above all else.
Improving Your Communication
Truth, honesty and openness are three keys to any good relationship — and you must always keep working to communicate better with one another if you hope to achieve these goals. Naturally, love and care are important and must be at the foundation of everything, but even these emotions can fail you if you’re unable to talk about them.
This is something that’s easier for some people than for others — and is usually the case even among two people in a relationship. But no matter how proficient and easily you’re able to share your desires, fears, vulnerabilities — and all the other aspects of intimacy — it’s important to continually try to improve this bond.
Building a Healthier Connection
There’s no such thing as a perfect relationship; after all, that exists only in fairy tales — and some may find that depressing. But adults who have experienced love and loss can embrace this fact. The flaws and hurdles experienced in relationships are the very things that make them so strong, and they must be worked upon constantly to continue building a healthier life together.
While that can all sound overwhelming, the good news is that there are small things you can do every day to strengthen your connection. Making time for each other will always be No. 1 on the list. Then, be sure to show you care in both big and small ways. Last, but certainly not least, try to communicate more — and more openly — all the time.
If you focus on these three things, you can make an already-strong bond even stronger. There will never be a final destination, and you will always have to keep working at it. But, ultimately, your desire to keep evolving and growing together is a blessing, as this is what love is truly all about.