Falling in love is easy, staying in love takes effort. This year, spend time intentionally improving your relationship with these ideas.
Practice Kindness
Cultivate kind daily habits, support your partner’s interests, passions and goals, and treat your partner with kindness and consideration during times of joy and conflict.
Say ‘Yes’ To Sex
When you’re tired and stressed (and who isn’t these days?) “no” can easily become your default answer to your
partner. Remove the word “no” from your relationship vocabulary, it is crucial that your partner knows you’ll make time for intimacy.
Listen While They Speak
It’s the little things that really keep a relationship strong, yet those little niceties are often the first things to be forgotten in the daily hustle. Make time to let your partner speak for a short period of time without interruption, and hopefully they will do the same for you.
Do a Gratitude Challenge
“For 14 consecutive days, twice a day, express to your spouse one thing you love, appreciate, value or respect about them and why,” says Peter Pearson, Ph.D. “Telling them the why makes you dig deeper and go beyond surface compliments.” Need ideas? You can express your gratitude over even the simple things, like taking out the garbage before it overflows, putting the kids to bed, or a sweet kiss when you needed it most.
Try Something New
“Novelty keeps your relationship feeling fresh and fun and helps break you out of tedious routines,” says Levi R.
Baker, Ph.D. “The longer you are with someone, the more you fall into a routine, watching the same shows, going to the same restaurants, and talking about the same issues,” he says. “But people who share novel experiences with their partners avoid relationship boredom and tend to stay happier, longer with their partners.”
