MAKE SPENDING QUALITY TIME TOGETHER A PRIORITY
Without a doubt, one of the keys to a successful relationship is spending time together and genuinely connecting.
What does this mean?
This is more than just scheduling regular date nights (although we definitely support date nights together for finding romance and adventure. Check out all of our best date ideas for couples).
Quality time can take on a variety of forms and formats; what matters is that both you and your partner feel like you’re doing something that allows you to authentically connect.
This may be something you have to prioritize and plan, especially if you have kids or busy schedules. Quality time doesn’t usually just happen, but when you make an effort to incorporate it into your week, you’ll find that it makes a big difference in your relationship.
Quality time does not have to be lengthy or complicated: it can be as easy as sharing a cup of coffee together for a few quiet minutes every morning. This is one idea on our list of relationship rituals: simple habits that couples can adopt to create these moments of connection.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN NEEDS
We should certainly look to our partners for support, encouragement, and help. There are absolutely things that partners need from one another. However, it’s very easy to fall into a trap of wanting our partner to meet and fulfill the entirety of our needs; looking to them to fix things for us.
But the truth is, we’re all responsible for our selves: our emotions, our actions, our self-worth, etc.
It’s the mature, adult thing to do to recognize that we’re in charge of our own emotions. This helps us avoid looking to our partner to “fix” us, and it helps us avoid playing the blame game; thinking our partner is at fault for the way we may be feeling.
According to PsychCentral, it is “our beliefs and expectations about a person or event or situation [that] directly influence and, many would argue, cause our feelings.”