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Building a Loving Relationship
It is recognized that having a loving relationship can help a person live a longer and healthier life. A good relationship can support you in maintaining a positive emotional state, but it can also be a burden if things are not going well. Relationships take a lot of work. The more you are willing to invest the more you get in return. You have to willing to compromise and be accepting of what is given to you. You must continuously work on ways to strengthen the love and trust in the relationship and be willing to work on the relationship if it is on the rocks.

 

Keeping the Romance Alive
If asked how did you meet and what attracted you to each other, you can remember how excited you were in getting to know each other spending hours talking and making plans to spend time together. With the passage of time, you accumulate more and more responsibilities children, work, family obligations, and activities that make it difficult to find time for each other. It is critical to your relationship to find time for each other. Take one night a week to have date night where you can go out to have fun together. If you don't have quality time together, your connection and communication will suffer. Finding something new and fun will help renew your life and your relationship.

 

Maintaining Good Communication 
Maintaining good communication is the basis for a healthy relationship. When you stop communicating, the walls start going up and over time the walls become higher and thicker. As long as you are talking and communicating, there is nothing you can't work out. Remember that communication happens on two levels verbal and nonverbal. Our body language communicates to another person important information. Are you feeling positive listening by leaning forward and keeping eye contact or are you feeling negative not listening by leaning backwards and looking away. Being aware of the nonverbal cues will help you and your partner better understand what you are trying to communicate to each other. It is just as important to be a good listener. If you are not sure your partner heard what you said, ask your partner to paraphrase the words back to you. In this way, there will no misunderstanding.

 

Do Not Assume Your Partner Knows What Your Needs Are
After you have been with your partner for a period of time, you may assume that your partner knows pretty well what you are thinking or what you need. Contrary to what you're thinking, your partner is not a mind reader. It is important to state your needs clearly and directly to your partner so there is no misunderstanding.
If your needs are not being met in your relationship, you can develop resentments
which over time are destructive to communication and to your relationship. The best way to make your needs known is to make "I" statements. In this way you are telling your partner what you need.

 

Be Willing to Comprise
In a relationship, you cannot expect to get your way 100 percent of the time. In a loving relationship, there is no winner or loser. There has to be a give and take where you and your partner both feel your needs are being met.

 

Respectfully Resolving Conflict
Conflict in a relationship is inevitable. It is how you resolve conflict that is important. Both you and your partner need to feel that you have been heard. The goal is not to win, but to resolve the conflict with love and respect for each other. Make sure you fight fair; no name calling or finding fault. Make "I" statements to communicate how you feel and what you need. Don't drag in old arguments. Make sure to focus on the present issue and respect your partner.

 

Expect Ups and Downs in Your Relationship
In every relationship, there are ups and downs. You cannot always be on the same page with your partner. There can be a death in the family, loss of a job, health problems which can cause stress in a relationship making it difficult to relate to each other. It is important to be flexible to adapt to the changes always taking place, addressing them in order to grow together through both the good and bad times.

 

Getting Help for Your Relationship
Sometimes problems in a relationship seems to be overwhelming to the point you are unable to handle it on your own. In that case, it is important for you and your partner to reach out together for professional help. Couple or marriage counseling is a big commitment. Both partner must be willing to honestly communicate their needs and face issue brought forth in counseling and make the necessary changes.