Being in a relationship is both exciting and challenging. As a couple, you will experience highs and lows. However, you can stay strong and even make the relationship stronger if you take constant efforts, sacrifices, and countless ways to show how sincere and committed you are with each other. You don’t always have to do something grand though to make a relationship work.
There are simple things that you can do to make your relationship stronger as ever.
ON THE SIMPLEST THINGS
1.Talk about your day.
Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, talk about it with your partner. Doing so will keep you connected even when you don’t see each other on a daily basis.
2. Shower your partner with compliments.
Tell your partner how his/her new haircut or outfit looks good on him/her. Shower him/her with compliments to make your partner feel how special he/she is for you.
3. Name things that you love about your partner.
Aside from complimenting your partner, name at least five things that you love about your partner. This is you affirming how much you love him/her.
4. Eat together.
No matter how busy you are, make sure you spend some time and eat together. A couple that eats together stays together.
5. Be appreciative.
You might be too used to seeing your partner being extra caring to you, but he/she has to feel that you appreciate his/her efforts- small or big.
6. Share a good laugh.
Throw each other some jokes. Share your funny childhood experiences. Laughing together is one secret of a lasting relationship.
7. Do silly stuff together.
Doing silly stuff together can spice up your relationship, so don’t hesitate to show that crazy yet lovable side of you.
8. Say the magic words.
While the words seem overused, don’t forget to express your love. Say “I love you” to your partner, and of course, mean it.
9. Cook for your partner.
Cook for your partner to make him/her taste food that’s full of love and passion.
10. Leave sweet notes.
Place the notes on his her lunchbox. Say you miss him/her every single day. Leaving sweet notes will put a smile on your partner’s face.
11. Tell him/ her you’re always there for him/her.
Knowing that he/she has your back will boost the confidence of your partner, so never fail to remind him/her that you’re always there for him/her.
12. Show it.
Make yourself available for your partner. Listen to him/her. Weep with him/her. Just be there for him/her.
ON BEING OPEN TO EACH OTHER
13. Speak your mind.
Speak up if something is bothering you or if you find something wrong in the relationship. Solving a relationship problem starts with making each other aware that there is a problem.
14. Be constructive.
Choose your words when talking to your partner. Be constructive to avoid any further misunderstanding.
15. Listen to each other.
While you can always voice out your concerns, take the time to listen to your partner for you to understand his/her side.
16. Compromise.
One way to fix relationship problems is coming up with a compromise. Talk about what you can do for each other. Find a middle ground.
17. Say sorry.
While it’s hard to set aside your pride, learn to say these words when you know you’re the one at fault.
18. Resolve issues ASAP.
Don’t let a day pass by without you two fixing your issue/s. If it becomes your habit, it will make your relationship stronger.
ON TRUSTING EACH OTHER
19. Be honest to yourself.
This is often neglected, but you have to stay honest to yourself, so it will be easier for you to stay honest to your partner.
20. Be honest to your partner.
Don’t praise your partner when he/she is not supposed to be praised. Tell him/her what you see as mistakes. Be honest because it’s the right thing to do.
21. Be loyal and faithful.
Trust and loyalty go hand in hand. Be loyal and faithful to your partner for you to deserve the trust he/she is giving you.
22. Believe in yourself.
This might not be too simple to others, but you just have to believe and trust yourself for you to be capable of trusting your partner.
23 Believe in what your partner says.
Trusting your partner means you believe in what he/she says. Only doubt when there’s an explicit reason to do so.
24. Trust your love for each other.
Remember that your love for each other is greater than any other temptations. Hence, have faith in your love.
25. Don’t be too jealous.
Too much jealousy can make your partner feel that you don’t trust him/ her. Hence, don’t be jealous of petty and unreasonable things.
26. Don’t be paranoid.
It might not be as simple to not get paranoid. However, there’s no need to develop paranoia if you trust your partner enough.
27. Don’t be possessive.
Make sure that your partner does not feel stifled in the relationship. Allow him/her to do the things that he/she wants to make the relationship stronger.
28. Keep your promises.
They say that promises are meant to be broken, but as a partner and as a person, you have to keep your promises-small or big.
ON SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
29. Support each other’s dreams.
If you support each other’s dreams, you will have a glimpse of how you would be as lifelong partners. In effect, your relationship becomes stronger.
30. Be there during the most important events.
Don’t forget birthdays, anniversaries, promotion, etc. Your presence will mean a lot to your partner.
31. Be your partner’s number one fan.
Cheer for your partner no matter how small or big it is that she has accomplished. He/she will surely appreciate it.
32. Celebrate each other’s success.
Enjoy a sumptuous meal. Have a drink. Celebrate your success together. Celebrate as partners.
33. Be proud of him/her.
Tell your partner how proud you are of him/her. He/ She would love to hear it from you.
34. Tell other people about it.
Your partner might feel embarrassed about it, but if you will show the world how proud you are of him/her, it will surely make his/her heart melt.
35. Be there during the dark times.
Your partner might be depressed right now. Be that someone who he/she can lean on.
36. Let your partner vent out.
Let your partner vent out if he or she’s too stressed at work. He/she needs someone to listen to him/her, and he wants that someone to be you.
37. Give pieces of advice.
Whenever your partner is going through something, don’t hesitate to give your pieces of advice. That’s you showing how much you care about him/her.
38. Be a partner and a best friend.
Don’t just be a partner; be his/her best friend. You will surely strengthen the foundation of your relationship.
ON DEALING WITH YOUR DIFFERENCES
39. Pursue each other’s dreams.
You may have different dreams, and it’s alright. Pursue each other’s dreams while keeping a strong relationship.
40. Respect your differences.
You may have different personalities, but the key is to respect each other’s differences.
41. Listen to your partner’s sensible points.
You may have different preferences in things, but this won’t be a problem if you listen to and accept your partner’s sensible points.
42. Respect your partner’s values and principles.
It’s expected that you will have differences in terms of values and principles. The key is not forcing each other to believe in your principles. The key word is again respect.
43. Put yourself into your partner’s shoe.
In order for you to easily understand your partner’s actions and choices, put yourself into your partner’s shoe.
44. Be patient with each other.
Learn to be patient with each other. Give each other as well as the relationship time to grow.
45. Accept each other’s imperfections.
Remember that he/she is your perfectly imperfect partner. Embrace each other’s flaws.
46. Help each other be better.
You are a team, so help each other to become better versions of yourselves.
ON SPENDING QUALITY TIME
47. Make your partner one of your priorities.
He/She is your partner, so make him/her one of your priorities because he/she deserves that.
48. Don’t forget your cuddling moments.
Make ample time for cuddling. It doesn’t always have to lead to sex, but remember that physical contact is one important language of love.
49. Binge watch together.
Spend your night by binge watching your favorite series. You will certainly share laughter, fear, and anger while watching the shows.
50. Have a dinner date at home.
You don’t always have to go out just to spend quality time with each other. Set up an intimate dinner at home and enjoy each other’s company.
51.Go to museums together.
Are you the artsy type of couple? Go to museums together, appreciate the beauty of art, and create more wonderful memories together.
52. Go to the gym together.
Going to the gym together means staying healthy and sharing great moments together. Inspire each other to stay fit.
53. Cook together.
While you can go to a fancy restaurant, you can cook together at home and have a great bonding moment. Cook your favorite pasta. Even buying the ingredients would surely be fun.
54. Adopt a pet.
While it comes with responsibilities, adopting a pet will make you two develop a strong and totally different bond.
55. Volunteer together.
Be productive through volunteering. Aside from keeping a strong relationship, you are making a difference in the world.
56. Talk about anything under the sun.
One way to make your relationship stronger is to just talk about random things. You will certainly learn and discover a lot from each other.
ON KEEPING THE LOVE ALIVE
57. Surprise your partner every once in a while.
Never forget to spend some time to surprise your partner even in the littlest of things. This keeps the spark alive.
58. Give him/ her a massage.
Give your partner a massage especially after a tiring day at work. He/she will certainly be longing for it.
59. Express how beautiful she is.
Your partner has to know and feel how attracted you are to him/her. No matter how long you’ve been together, never fail to express how beautiful your partner is.
60. Kiss a lot.
Kiss on the forehead, kiss on the lips, kiss on the neck. Kiss a lot to show that level of affection you have for each other.
61. Keep things more intimate.
As mentioned, physical contact is important, so make this part of the relationship as healthy as it should be.
ON TRYING NEW THINGS
62. Travel together.
Life can get really toxic, so take a break sometimes. Travel together. Discover new places together. Create more beautiful memories together.
63. Try a new sport together.
Whether it’s extreme sport or not, try doing something adventurous in order to keep things exciting.
64. Try a new game.
Whether it’s a board game or a video game, try playing together. It’s another way for you to bond with each other.
65. Take interest in each other’s hobbies.
Try to show interest in the things that your partner loves doing. That alone will be appreciated by your partner.
66. Discover something about each other every day.
No matter how long you’ve been together, never fail to learn something about each other every day.
67. Learn a new skill together.
Whether it’s learning a new language or learning how to cook, try to learn a new skill together. You will surely have something new to talk about.
68. Try new things (intimately).
You can explore things, including intimacy. Try to be more creative. Try to be more adventurous.
ON KEEPING YOUR INDIVIDUALITY
69. Have me time.
Your relationship can get toxic if you’re together every second of the day. You are still a unique individual, and you need some time for yourself. Hence, don’t forget to take your personal space and time.
70. Keep doing each other’s hobbies.
One way to make a relationship stronger is to allow each other to keep doing the things that you love, so keep doing each other’s hobbies.
71. Travel alone.
While it’s fun to travel together with your partner, you need to be alone sometimes. Try traveling alone for you to take that break that you need.
72. Spend time with your friends.
To keep things balanced, nurture your relationship not just with your partner but also with your friends.
73. Groom yourself.
Do a makeover from time to time for you to feel good about yourself. You need that even when you already have a partner.
74. Love yourself.
Don’t forget to love yourself because that gives you the capacity to love your partner more.
75. Be yourself.
One secret of a strong relationship is to just be yourself. Your partner will love you for being you.
76. Embrace your imperfections.
You don’t have to be perfect to deserve your partner. Embrace your imperfections because he/she will also do so if he/she really loves you.
77. Seek for self-improvement.
While you embrace your imperfections, don’t stop seeking for self-improvement. That’s for your own growth.
78. Stay independent.
Remember that staying independent while you’re committed to your partner is a sign of a healthy and strong relationship.
ON HANDLING FIGHTS
79. Think before you act.
Make sure that you stay rational so as not to hurt your partner badly when you’re in a fight.
80. Lower your voice.
Raising your voice won’t make the situation lighter. Stay calm in order for you to fix your relationship with a clear mind.
81. Emphasize your intentions.
You are mad because you care for the person. Highlight your intentions to make your partner realize them.
82. Learn from your fights.
Learn from every fight you have. Don’t do the same mistakes. It’s through those fights that you can strengthen the foundation of your relationship.
83. Don’t be hysterical and historical.
When you’re at the peak of your emotions, you can get hysterical and historical. Avoid it so as not to worsen your fights.
ON TAKING THE EXTRA MILE
84. Build connection with his/her family.
Take the extra mile by establishing a genuine connection with your partner’s family. Your partner will be full of joy seeing his/her loved ones get along well.
85. Get to know his/her friends.
Instead of doubting his/her friends, take an effort to get to know them. Your partner will certainly appreciate your effort.
86. Notice the little things.
You may say you know your partner too well. However, make sure you notice the little things that make him/her happy or get mad.
87. Stay up late if necessary.
Your partner has to feel that you’re willing to wait for him/her until he/she gets home safely.
88. Make little sacrifices.
Don’t hesitate to make little sacrifices. That’s not an issue when you truly love your partner.
ON PLANNING THE FUTURE
89. Talk about it.
Talk about the future. You don’t have to do anything right away. You can just share your thoughts about the future and probably come up with some plans.
90. Don’t feel pressured.
Don’t feel the pressure to settle right away. A strong relationship knows when both of you are ready or not.
91. Stay open-minded.
While you talk about your future together, stay open-minded because plans may change.
92. Don’t make hasty decisions.
Again, there’s no rush in taking things to the next level. Let your relationship strengthen first before taking things to the next level.
93. Set goals.
Set short term and long term goals together. Work on them, and you will know when it’s already the right time to settle down.
ON MAINTAINING BOUNDARIES
94. Moderate your tolerance.
A strong relationship maintains some level of tolerance. You need that kind of control because everything and everyone has limits.
95. Learn to say no.
Along with moderating your tolerance is the need to say no. There are just things that you can’t always give and do, and your partner has to know that.
95. Stand your ground.
Once you say no, you have to stand your ground. This is for both of you to have a say in the relationship.
96. Communicate your reasons.
You said no because you have reasons. Communicate those reasons with your partner to avoid further conflicts.
ON KEEPING THINGS PRIVATE
97. Don’t post everything online.
Nothing and no one can stop you from posting online, but a happy and healthy relationship does not need to post everything online. If you post, do it for yourself, not to prove something to other people.
98. Talk to your partner first before talking to other people.
If you have issues in the relationship, talk to your partner directly. Don’t let him/her know the problem through your friend’s mouth.
99. Keep your secrets.
Your partner shared his/her secrets with you because he/she trusts you. Hence, make yourself worthy of that trust.
100. Respect your partner.
It’s simple: respect him/her as your partner. Respect him/her as a person.
Indeed, being in a relationship can be a roller coaster ride. It can get really hard. However, the list above proves that there are things you can do to make your relationship stronger. They may look simple, but it’s your intention, sincerity, and effort that will matter. So, stay strong, couples!