You’re in a relationship with a wonderful person, but are you really happy in it? What does your heart tell you? It might seem like the simplest thing a couple can do, but it’s sometimes hard to keep love and happiness alive and kicking, even if they did experience it during the first flush.
It doesn’t take a lot of money or effort to do so, but you need to understand what really matters and how you can keep the flame of love and happiness alive in your relationship. If you follow these following tips on how to be happy in a relationship, you can truly be blissful with your partner.
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Let’s get to it, shall we?
1. Communicating as often as possible
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You remember those early days in your relationship when you had sooooo much to talk about with your partner? You used to think there aren’t enough topics under the sun for you both to finish discussing and dissecting, right? What’s stopping you from talking and communicating and having an honest discussion with your partner? Did you say everyday life? No, that’s not it; it’s you that’s holding yourself back from having the same kind of talks with your partner that you used to have. Never stop asking questions.
You know you both love each other, but as individuals, you’re constantly changing, growing, learning new things, picking up new things, and these come out and you get to know about them when you both talk. Like, really talk. Learn to be open and honest in your communication, and create an environment where you both can be as honest and open with each other as possible. Remember, misunderstandings happen in relationships not due to miscommunication, but due to non-communication.
2. Resolving issues as they crop up
You know that a relationship is a two-way street, right? That both of you need to put in efforts and energy to make sure that it sails on as smoothly as possible? That if one of you stops putting in effort, it’s like a carriage with one broken wheel? Both of you have to work towards maintaining the relationship, is all I’m saying.
And since it’s a relationship between two individuals, there are bound to be arguments and fights from time to time. In fact, these are a mark of a healthy, stable, and mature adult relationship. And it’s also perfectly alright to have a strong opinion about some issues. But no matter how small or big an issue is, try and resolve it as soon as possible. Do not brush it off under the rug, or put it off to deal with later, because these seemingly small, trivial issues have the potential to blow up later on. The mark of a humble human being is when you have the nerve to accept it when you’re wrong, and say sorry for it. Don’t let your ego come between your relationship. Remember, your relationship is bigger than both your egos combined. Learn to accept your faults and move on.
3. Willing to apologize
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There are certainly going to be times when you know you’re wrong, or that you’ve done something that might need you to apologize to your partner, even if you don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. However, you just can’t seem to bring yourself to say the words. And you see apologizing as humiliating yourself in front of your partner. You couldn’t be more wrong! In fact, it’s the other way around; by apologizing for your mistake/fault, you’re showing your partner that you have true courage to accept when you’re in the wrong, and say so.
Remember, in a relationship, there are no winners or losers. There are just happy couples or sad ones. If you want to know how to be happy in a relationship, learn to accept your mistakes, swallow your pride, and offer apologies, sometimes even when you’re not at fault. After all, you’re doing it for the sake of your relationship. Egos have the potential to make any relationship crumble, and if you both don’t learn to apologize to each other, then nothing can save it from ruin. Always keep the big picture in your head – your relationship > your ego.
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4. Learning to forgive
The other side of apologizing is the will to forgive. All of us make mistakes; nobody is immune to them. If someone claims to have never made mistakes, then they’re either lying or they’ve NEVER done anything in/with their life – as simple as that! If you want to learn how to be happy in a relationship, then learn to forgive each other. It doesn’t matter if the transgression was a petty one or a huge one, if you want your relationship to keep growing and have a chance at survival, then forgiveness is a virtue you need to cultivate. Not just that, but forgive, forget, and move on, never to bring it up in future fights.
This holds true when the mistakes become lessons and they’re not repeated time and again. But when they’re repeated, you’ll know that your partner doesn’t care enough about your feelings to not make the same mistakes again. Tell them how their mistakes made you feel, and put the incident behind you. Holding grudges isn’t a very healthy to do in a relationship. It won’t ever add anything valuable to your relationship.
5. Respecting each other as individuals
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Love is one of the main building blocks that sustains and grows a relationship. But that’s not all there is to create a happy relationship. The other important blocks include trust and respect. Do you trust your partner in your time of need? Do you respect them as an individual and as a partner?
Respect plays an important role in any relationship. It’s vital for the success and happiness of a relationship. When you respect your partner is when you put your trust in them, and know that they’re going to do everything in their power to not break that trust you have placed in them. The mutual respect that you both share will bring more confidence in each other, as well as in the relationship.
6. Pleasing each other in the bedroom
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Did you know that the secret to knowing how to be happy in a relationship is also about pleasing each other sexually? You and your partner may be intellectually compatible, as well as emotionally. But what about physically? Do you desire your partner? Do they excite you and make you want to jump their bones? Or have you both let yourselves go and don’t find each other exciting enough?
A healthy sex life is one of the key ingredients for a stable, mature relationship. So never take each other for granted, or let yourself go just because you don’t have anybody to impress anymore. You need to put in the effort to look good and enticing for your partner to romp your way to a happy relationship. If that means you need to start eating right, exercising right, and putting in effort to dress up, then so be it. The big picture here is to keep your lover coming back for more, no matter how long you both have been together.
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7. Giving each other space
You love spending time with your partner, but you need to have time to yourself too. Besides being one half of a couple, you also are an individual in your own right. And this individual side needs to have space to grow and bloom. So learn to give each other space to grow – go out and do your own thing, have a night out with friends, pursue your own passions. Let your partner do the same.
The saying that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ is true in this case. When you’re both doing your own thing, your partner will have a chance to miss you. And when you both reunite at the end of the day, you’ll have that much more to talk and share with them. For your relationship to be interesting, your own lives need to be interesting too, remember that.
If you follow these simple steps in your own relationship, you’ll have a happy one, that will last a lifetime. All you need is the will to do so, and to put the relationship above your egos. That’s sure to bring happiness in your life, no?
Featured image source: Shutterstock
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