- Honesty: Strive to always be nice and cultivate trust
- Comprise: In relationships its important to maintain balance. At times you will have to sacrifice, at other times its ok for them to bend more. Keep open lines of communication to make sure you both are feeling fulfilled and not overwhelmed.
- Fight fair: All relationships have disagreements. But its important to avoid screaming or hitting. When you fight you are able to get your point of view across and work together to find meaningful solutions to your issues.
- Own your baggage: You can only fix yourself. So, work to help your partner through their hardships, but know you can’t solve their problems. Be there to listen to their concerns and provide support. But know what is their responsibility to fix and don’t get upset about their process so you both can avoid additional strain.
- Understand your partner’s past: You have not always been in your partner’s life. Their past has help to shape them into the person you love today. Appreciate and understand their journey, and see them in the context of their past. Be conscious not to judge what happened, but be with them as they share their stories and feelings.
- Be considerate: Listen and pay attention to your partner. This way your partner can feel valued and avoid having to repeat important information or relieving traumas.
- Know their love language: Grand gestures can be nice, but not everyone responds best to them. Your partner might experience love through acts of service, kind words, or shared experiences. Know what matters to your partner so you can show you care in truly impactful ways.
- You know your relationship best: People will always give “advice.” But only you both will know if that is smart or overrated. Do what is best for your dynamic.
- Seek knowledge: There is no harm is asking for relationship advice. You can turn to books, the internet, or other successful couples to help you weather any storm.
- Take interest in your partner’s passions: You both are unique individuals with unique interests. But when you show a sincere curiosity to your partner’s interests, social circle, and hobbies, you are showing them that you appreciate and care about them. Paying attention is subtle, yet powerful, signal of love.
- Ask for help: It’s ok to ask your partner for assistance when needed. No one is mind-reader and asking for help is a great way to avoid any seeds of resentment from forming within you.
- Have realistic sex-pections: Cosmo is not the sex Bible!
- Each relationship is unique: Only you will truly understand your relationship dynamics. Likewise, you can never fully understand any other relationship, so be cautious when giving advice.
- Always date your partner: No matter how long you have been together, it is important to still woo each other! If your boyfriend initially enjoyed going out to breakfast, then make sure to go out at least once a month. No one ever enjoys hearing “How come you never X anymore?”
- Play fair: No one wins when a hurt person lashes back out at someone! Spite and sabotage are two surefire ways to destroy a relationship. If you feel the need to retaliate then you need to reconsider how much you love that person.
- Go Dutch: Strive to make your relationship dynamics as close to even as possible. It might not be the most romantic ideal, but it will prevent one partner from feeling overtaxed. Communication about your needs and concerns are essential to avoid any feelings of resentment.
- Accept each other’s quirks: Your partner should be perfectly imperfect in your eyes. Every person is flawed and makes mistakes. It is your quirks that make you uniquely you!
- Talk it all out: Even the tough stuff! Love is never easy, and it is important you discuss the things that bug you. This way you can identify miscommunication and any deal breakers as soon as possible.
- Your intuition is spot on: Listen to your gut. If something feels admis it probably is. Honoring these feelings can help you address problems as soon as possible and get you both back on track.
- Take advice with a grain of salt: No one knows your relationship like you do. It’s ok if someone has some feedback, but weigh their insights with your own knowledge and feelings. Likewise, be careful with how many of your relationship woes that you share with external people, otherwise you risk tainting their perspective of your dynamic and opening yourself up to unwanted feedback.
