Every relationship has its ups and downs, and right now if you are experiencing the “down”, the first thing that you must know is that it is completely normal.
At this time, it is easy to feel hopeless about your relationship, and be blinded by thoughts like “We are meant to be together” – but that’s not the case (not always!).
Here is the thing, preparation for a war is not done during the war but is done before the war. Similarly, when you and your partner are struggling, you guys need to prepare an action plan to get through it beforehand. For the same reason, strengthening your relationship is important.
So below, we have written seven effective ways to strengthen your relationship, so that it is safe from the ups and downs of the future!
1. Spending quality time together
I am sure you have heard this advice over a zillion times now but that doesn’t make it any less important. Most couples when introspecting their relationship without any biases or assumptions find that they haven’t been spending quality time together and it is very disappointing. In fact, so many times, both the partners are not even on the same page when it comes to communication.
But when you take conscious efforts to spend quality time together, you will immediately observe a great change amidst you both. But remember, quality time means no distractions (like your phones) and enjoying simple routine things, like playing board games, walking around, cooking together, and more.
2. Communicate what you expect
William Shakespeare once said, expectations always hurt, and we couldn’t agree more to it. When in a relationship, both the partners always establish certain expectations from each other. While this is not wrong but when these expectations aren’t met, it hurts.
But here is the thing, the best part of being in a relationship is that both the partners want to fulfill each other’s expectations and needs. However, this will only happen when both of you effectively communicate your expectations. Poor communication often leads to resentment and frustration. Plus, if you don’t share your heart with your soulmate, who will you share it with?
3. Never hold on to anger, resentment, and fear
Holding on to your anger, resentments, and fear regarding your partner might look wise in the short term but is only to bring you pain in the near future. You do not want all of these negative feelings to accumulate and ruin your relationship.
As partners, you both must be able to share your heart with each other without any judgments and biases. And trust me, once you start doing it, it’s not so difficult. But when your partner is venting out, you must also patiently listen. When things sometimes do become unbearable, it is better to seek relationship counselling professionals, as explained in this article by A Kind Place.
4. Get intimate without getting physical
Remember the initial days of your relationship when it wasn’t just about sex but also about hugging, kissing, and cuddling. Don’t ever stop doing that. Irrespective of whatever stage of relationship you are in, never stop getting intimate.
Plus, there are a lot of scientific benefits in these sweet-little moments like the release of feel-good hormones, like oxytocin, and reduced blood pressure and stress. You need to rekindle the emotions you had when you all first started dating and make conscious efforts to bring the fire back.
5. Understand how your partner expresses love
Let me make it clear: Everyone expresses love differently and there’s no wrong or right to it. While some of us are materialistic and love pampering them with gifts, some express love through letters. Again, there are some who communicate love with an overdose of hugs and kisses, the other few are vocal about it and like to do PDA.
The key is you need to know how your partner expresses their love and learn to embrace and appreciate it. Movies aren’t real so don’t set any unrealistic ideals for your partner. Remember, you do you.
6. Physical intimacy is equally important
Most of you must be wondering why am I infusing the concept of lust when we are solely and profusely talking deeply about love. But I believe that when a couple is in deep love, sex is also a form of love, not lust.
Sex and your sexual performance are equally important for your partner and your happiness. I am not saying it is everything that a successful relationship needs, but it is definitely a major part of it. And guess what, you can always add a new twist to your lovemaking sessions with different tips and tricks.
Further, sex also has a lot of benefits, on all three aspects: physical, emotional, and mental. But the deal-breaker always is, that people think it all comes down to the size, but no, that is not how it really is. Your sexual performance has very little to do with your size but a lot to do with your partner.
Every human being has different sexual expectations, trigger points, and preferences. So, learn to communicate with your partner even while having sex, and don’t shy away from speaking your side of the story as well. So now that you have planned to get super-active on the bed, do not forget your protection from https://condomania.com/.
7. Give it time
Time heals everything and your relationship is no different. Every problem has a solution and sometimes you don’t have to go looking for it. It will come to you when it has to.
However, during these times, it is important to hold on to each other and not let a stupid fight, argument, or mistake overpower the love. Keep reminding yourself that the love that you have for your partner is irreplaceable.
Over to you…
In the end, I only have one last piece of advice for everyone looking to thrive in a long-term relationship: Sometimes, things are simple but we tend to overcomplicate it by comparing our journey with others – don’t do that. As I said, you do YOU!
