Being in a relationship has its perks: you always have a designated cuddle buddy and someone to talk to about the Game of Thrones. But knowing that a relationship is only as stable and healthy as the people in it, you’ve made it your goal to love better this time around (good for you).
The thing is, even if you consider yourself a healthy partner there’s always room for improvement! Since 100% of us aren’t perfect and will either be in an unhealthy relationship or do unhealthy things we wanted to share a few life hacks that will help you #love better. We often focus on learning to love once we’ve entered a relationship, but we have a gut feeling that the foundation of a healthy relationship starts with you, and we have a sneaky suspicion that you intuitively know this too.
That said, mastering these simple life skills will absolutely help you #love better, so let’s get started!
1) Love Your Alone Time
Remember those things you did before your partner? Keep doing them.
2) Keep Jealousy from Ruining Your Relationships
After being in an unhealthy relationship where cheating was involved, it can be challenging to not jump to conclusions the next time around.
Pro tip: Practice self-love and positive affirmations! You are awesome and deserve all the good things that come into your life! If your partner’s behavior makes you feel insecure then it may be time to start a conversation about the things that make you uncomfortable.
3) Manage Your Finances
Not being impulsive with money is always a great skill to have, but as we all know, the first stages of a relationship can be filled with impulsivity.
4) Manage Stress
Finding healthy ways to cope with stress is important in all aspects of life, not just relationship building. Stress management may include a yoga class, a simple walk around the park, or even a quick journal entry at the end of each day — do whatever helps you unwind.
5) Master Time Management
This one is my greatest weakness, and only becomes worse when I’m dating. It’s so easy for me to procrastinate and push responsibilities to the side when I’m in a relationship because I become so focused on spending quality time with that person. Putting things off to a later date because I’ve made plans with my significant other has bitten me in the back so many times, I’ve lost count! Having good time management skills before entering a relationship is key.
Pro tip: Planners or lists help (even for unorganized folks such as myself)! Visually seeing what you need to do over the course of a week or day can help you make sure your Netflix and snuggle sessions don’t interfere with that important deadline you need to reach.
6) Pursue Your Passions — and Make Them a Priority
It’s incredibly helpful to already be on the path of pursuing your passions when you enter a relationship. I count myself among the lucky few who have a clear career path and life goals in mind and am in the process of obtaining them.
7) Become Self Aware
How do your actions affect others? What are some things that you need to work on? Try to do this without being too critical. Outside of a relationship, what kind of person are you? What kind of partner are you when you’re in a relationship? These questions are important to ask before you enter something serious.
8) Check Your Baggage
What are you holding onto? How does it affect your ability to love and be loved? The common saying, “check your baggage at the door” is often easier said than done. Your past traumas, experiences, and relationships absolutely affect your current one. Healing isn’t linear, and even if you know how these experiences affect you, sometimes it’s still difficult to leave them out of your current equation.
Maybe you’re still in your healing process, but just being aware of the baggage you carry with you can help a ton in fostering a healthy relationship instead of being oblivious to it.
