If your relationship is starting to flat line, here are seven steps that will breathe new life into it and make it healthier than ever.
1. Communicate
Communication is one of the most important things that lies at the base of a healthy relationship. You and your partner should always be talking and sharing your feelings and opinions with each other. This constant communication helps you see any problems that may be in the works, but it will help reinforce that close bond that needs to remain intact.
2. Listen
With communication, you need to listen to one another. You could talk about any problems until you are blue in the face, but nothing will get resolved unless you take in what your partner is saying and listen to what is being said. To show your significant other that you are listening and understanding what is being said, ask questions.
3. Checking In
You should be willing to check in with your partner every so often to see if you are both on the same page. You’ll want to ask them if anything is concerning them about the relationship and if there is, ask them what could be done to help alleviate those concerns. This will help you determine what areas of the relationship is still going strong and what areas could use some improvement. The goal here is to ensure that both parties are happy.
4. Conflict Resolution
If there is a problem in the relationship, you might be tempted to tackle that problem right then and there. You think that if you take care of it immediately, you’re preventing the situation from escalating and becoming worse. Unfortunately, this has a tendency to backfire if one or both people are angry or upset about something. It’s usually best if you wait to settle any problems when both parties are calm and can see things with a level head.
5. Have a Balanced Life
Whether you’re just starting a relationship, or you’ve been in one for a while, you want to make sure you’ve some time to pursue activities away from your partner. Sure, you have work, but you need down time—time to relax, unwind, and enjoy time to yourself. If you focus all of your energy on your partner, things could spin out of control rather quickly, and resentment could quickly move in and hurt the integrity of the relationship.
6. Expect Change
No relationship will stay the same as time goes on. You’ve got to be prepared for some aspects of it to change. People change, it’s what they do. You can avoid any possible conflict by being open to those changes and embracing them. For instance, if your partner wants to change careers, instead of talking them out of it, show that you support their decision, but you can also suggest that they make a gradual transition to see if they like it first.
7. Accept Differences
There are going to be some things that you don’t like about your partner, and that will never change. You shouldn’t see those differences as a hurdle to get over, but as a chance get out of that comfort zone and maybe even experience new things. These types of things can enhance an already strong relationship if you are willing to experience them.