How to Maintain Healthy Relationships

Relationships require strategy, foresight and effort. Whether you've been dating someone for a while, currently live with a partner, or have been married for a few years, you might be seeking ways to better the relationship you have. With life pulling you in different directions, it’s important to know how to feed your relationship so it continues to thrive. Here are some tips and techniques to help keep your relationship strong.

• Strengthen communication skills. Strong relationships are built on effective communication. Make an effort to really listen to each other and share both positive and negative feelings to keep the environment honest and open. 
• Create rituals. Routine and rituals help hold a relationship together. A goodbye kiss before work, pre-dinner walks, weekly game nights or a weekend bike ride are little things that, over time, become the glue in a healthy relationship.
• Spend time apart. Give each other space. Everyone needs their own space and quality time outside a relationship. You also both need to keep and nurture outside friendships and interests.
• Be vulnerable. Be honest. Sharing your vulnerabilities can help create deeper intimacy. Furthermore, admitting to your mistakes and asking for help is also greatly respected in every relationship. Just be honest and be open to holding deeper conversations. 
• Compromise. It’s so important to understand your partner’s perspective, thoughts, and feelings. Be sure to balance your own needs with the other person’s needs. Seek a mutually beneficial compromise on any areas of disagreement. 
• Check in on your relationship. Schedule systematic meetings to talk about the state of your relationship and what can be improved. Talk about what you appreciate most about each other. Then, discuss what can be improved and how to do so. Finally, finish up with gratitude to each other for doing the relationship check-in.

Overall, remember to respect each other’s boundaries and privacy and form a tight bond of trust and communication. People and relationships change all the time, so communication is always vital. The key is to be intentional and pursue your own goals in any relationship you are in.