Most of us have been taught that being happy in a relationship is something that just happens. We’re told that falling in love looks something like an accident. But the truth is there’s a lot more involved when trying to figure out how to have a happy relationship.
A lot of people have made silly mistakes that ruined great relationships whether it’s with romantic partners, family or friends.
Here are 5 great tips to help you make your relationship flourish and avoid disconnection!
Spend Quality Time Together
It really boggles my mind how many people in a relationship spend time together without spending quality time together.
Spending time together should not always be about making plans, figuring out each other’s work schedules, instead it should be more of hanging out and giving access to each other’s brain, hanging out, like it was in the early days of dating,
Be Appreciative and Kind
Try to appreciate your partner and be kind to each other all the time, that doesn’t mean you don’t get grumpy or annoyed or tired. It just means that despite all those things, you remember to be incredibly kind to each other.
Too often, couples think that because they are together, they can take things out on each other, but that should be the last thing you are doing. You should be remembering to be sweet and lovely to each other every chance you get. It’ll make you both happier in the long-term.
Be Open
Nothing good ever came from keeping yourself wrapped up and closed off in a relationship. The happiest couples are the ones who share themselves with each other, openly and honestly, and continue to be vulnerable over time.
Been open in a relationship about your feelings, thoughts and what’s going on with you makes you more authentic and vulnerable.
You have to tell them information about yourself that you think they would want to know.
Letting someone see the parts of yourself that you may not love helps you to realize they aren’t that bad, and it helps you start to heal
Have healthy conflicts
Conflicts can be healthy in relationships! If you go into a relationship expecting never to fight, then your first fight could very well lead to the end of the relationship. Instead, learn strategies for healthy conflict resolution, and talk about them with the other person beforehand.
Also, when a conflict does arise, start by highlighting how much you care about the other person and the relationship. Talk about both the facts and how you feel about them. Avoid the blame game, and instead be as generous as possible when interpreting the other person’s actions.
Be open to changing your mind if you discover you made the mistake, and apologize quickly and profusely.
Avoid focusing on the past and instead orient toward better behavior in the future. At the end of any conflict, focus on reconnecting and rebuilding emotional bonds strained by the conflict. It helps solve tension in relationship.
Value Who They Are
Don’t fall into the “if only” trap with your partner. “If only they dressed better.” “If only they were funnier.”
This will just lead to frustration and anger on both sides. Instead, spend intentional time every day valuing who your partner is, not who you want them to be. Value their positive traits and be glad for who they are. You should be able to happily value your partner without trying to mold them into something else.
True love may be a matter of destiny, but making a relationship work isn’t. It’s a matter of choosing your partner, day after day, week after week, and month after month, until those all turn into years.
Being happier in your relationship is something you have control over. If you really want to know how to be happy in a relationship, the truth is that it comes from your own behavior and your own mind.
By following the tips on this list, you can start being happier in your relationship.
Story filled by Tsetsey Justina.
