Is your long-time crush now your boyfriend/girlfriend? That’s awesome! Now, changing your relationship status is just the beginning of what’s going to be a roller-coaster ride. One of the challenges of being in a relationship is how to protect it and make it last, and it takes more than just your “I love yous” to make that happen.
So, how can you protect your relationship and make it last? These tips are specially made for you:
1. Stay open to each other.
You may have heard this a thousand times, but open communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship. You got problems with how your partner is treating you? Let him/her know about it. Do you admire someone in the office? Still, tell your partner about it. If you make it your habit to be open to each other, you can face any potential problems head-on.
2. Stay honest.
In line with being open to each other is being honest to your partner. Be honest even if means hurting him/her. If you’re not happy with how the current relationship is going, be honest still. If you’ve committed a mistake, be responsible enough to tell your partner about it. It wouldn’t be easy, but at the end of the day, your partner would still appreciate your honesty.
3. Trust each other.
Do you always open or even hack your partner’s social media account because you’re worried he/she is talking to someone else? That’s one manifestation that you don’t trust your partner. As a result, you will have endless petty fights, which will soon cause bigger problems. Although trust issues have their own story, trusting your partner is a must. Remember that a relationship built on trust is a kind of relationship that lasts.
ALSO READ: 10 Ways to Build and Maintain Trust in a Relationship
4. Stay faithful.
For you to become someone who deserves to be trusted, you have to be someone who is faithful. Be faithful because he/she is more than enough. Be faithful because there’s only one him/her in the world. Be faithful because it’s the right thing to do. Be faithful because you can’t afford to hurt or lose him/her.
5. Stay open to changes.
Change is inevitable while you grow as an individual. Your partner may not be the same person you met when the relationship started, and you need to accept that. Even you will change. Remember that you two still have a lot to experience and explore in life. Don’t be that someone that could hinder his/her growth. Rather, be there for each other when those changes happen.
6. Stay intimate with each other.
Physical touch is a must in every relationship. It’s one way to keep the fire burning. It’s one way to express your affection to each other, so spend some time to discover each other more. Spend some time to appreciate each other more. Be a lot crazier about each other. Keep some level of intimacy because it’s fun and sexy, and that’s how your relationship should be.
7. Keep trying new things.
The relationship tends to get boring if you feel like you know each other so well already. Every relationship goes through that phase, but it will only be a phase if you do something. Instead of following the same routine, why don’t you try new things? Do something crazy together. Be spontaneous together. Laugh and get lost together; that’s one of the beauties of being in a relationship.
ALSO READ: 10 Fun Ways to Overcome Boredom in Your Relationship
8. Surprise each other.
Aside from trying new things, make sure that you still get to surprise your partner every now and then. Make your partner feel like you’re still waiting to finally get his/her yes. Make him/her feel special in your own simple and creative ways. It surely is one of the ways to make him/her long for you even more.
9. Stay beautiful.
Don’t just stay beautiful for your partner; stay beautiful for yourself. Stay confident. Feel good about yourself. Be comfortable in your own skin. Be empowered, and your beauty will radiate from within. Effortlessly, your partner will be head over heels for you.
10. Allow each other to be free.
Relationship gets toxic if one tends to be more controlling. Your partner might be giving you that right to set some boundaries, but don’t make him/her feel stifled. Yes, it’s sweet to call him/her yours, but remember that you don’t own the person. Respect his/her freedom. Allow your partner to keep discovering himself/herself. Allow each other to still do the things that you want while staying committed in the relationship.
11. Support each other.
In relation to giving your partner the freedom that he/she needs, you might want to be his/her support system. Support your partner in his/her goals. Don’t miss the most important dates. Be there for him/her because you want to witness every milestone in his//her life. More importantly, you want to be there for him/her in his/her darkest times.
ALSO READ: 12 Ways to Support Each Other in a Relationship
12. Don’t forget your personal space and time.
Spending quality time with your partner is a must to make the relationship grow, but spending some time for yourself is also a must to make yourself grow. Enjoy your alone time. Keep each other’s individuality. Doing this every now and then will lead you to miss each other and feeling refreshed when you go back to each other’s arms.
13. Take time to listen to each other.
Sometimes, people underestimate the power of listening. Truth is, it’s one secret to keep the foundation of the relationship solid. Listen before you get mad. Listen before you throw out those hurtful words. Listen before you become irrational. Listen because you’re the very first person he/she would want you to listen to him/her.
ALSO READ: 10 Tips on How to be a Better Listener in Your Relationship
14. Respect each other.
Most of all, respect your partner; that’s a golden rule. Respect his/her decisions. Respect his/her principles in life. Respect his/her family. Respect him/her as your partner. Respect him/her as a person.
Indeed, committing to a relationship is not just a matter of liking or loving each other. It takes courage and character to protect the relationship and make it last. You’re one lucky person to have found the person you can call as your partner, so you might as well do everything you can to show how much you want him/her to be a part of and stay in your life.
ALSO READ: 8 Ways to Make Your Relationship Last Longer
Online courses recommended for you:
- Relationship Coaching: Transform Problems into Growth & Love:
Develop true love & greater intimacy & a relationship growth mindset, stop destructive conflicts, find meaning & purpose. - Love & Connection: The Science of Successful Relationships:
This course will show you how to examine the unknown path that you’ll travel with your spouse, and carefully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship.
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