Working On Your Relationship: What You Can Do
February is the month of love. With valentine's day and this month being extra special with the leap year, it does remind you to think about your significant other. It’s your chance to show them how much you love them. I know it shouldn’t take a day in the diary to remind you of this. But we can all be guilty of getting caught up in our lives to remember that the little things can go a long way. At the beginning of a relationship, you are all caught up in the honeymoon period. You go out for dinner. Take planned day trips and holidays and offer each other tokens of affection. But as time goes on you make bigger decisions about your relationship. You might move in, get engaged and married, start a family and the romance begins to dwindle.
It’s only natural, and it’s completely normal but as time goes on it’s easy to drift apart. There are many reasons why this could happen. But you will find that your relationship will sit low on your priority list. It was recently reported that there is a “25-year itch” in marriage. It would seem that is when most of these relationships could end in an uncontested divorce. But don’t despair because there are a few things you can do to keep the romance alive.
Accept that you are two different people
You are not the same person, and that will have been the reason you fell in love in the first place. You can’t change a person for who they are. The minute you stop trying to do that will be the moment you remember why you fell in love all those years ago.
Make time for just the two of you
Organising a date night/day once a week or month, or whenever you can, will work wonders for your relationship. It’s the chance to remember what you were like as individuals. You may spend most of the time talking about the children or family. But just eating a meal together with no distractions will feel amazing.
Don’t go to sleep on an argument or harsh words
It’s always advised to end your day on a positive note, and that applies to your relationship. If you find that the disagreement hasn’t been resolved by the time you go to bed, then agree to disagree or apologise to one another. You will feel better for it and most of the time you will wonder what you even argued or disagreed on.
Remember to communicate
Ask about each other's days, every day, and show interest. Talk to each other about hopes and the future. Just like you would have done at the beginning of the relationship. Try and have at least one night a week when there are no distractions. Switch the TV off, put your phones away and leave work for tomorrow, just be in each other's company. You could even start a hobby together that is just for the two of you.
They might not be the complete answer to any marital woes, but they may be able to help towards a lasting marriage.
