Do you ever fear your relationship will get stale? That, no matter how in love you are, you will eventually grow tired of one another? Whether you’re married or living together, keeping your relationship fresh and staying connected is vital. Don’t think you have to be over the top to achieve it either (although sometimes over the top is good).
Simple gestures and verbal expressions of appreciation on a regular basis go a long way. According to a study from the University of North Carolina, couples who feel and express appreciation for each other are the most connected.
Relationship Check-In
If you aren’t consistently…
- expressing gratitude to your partner (verbally or through actions)
- giving your partner compliments
…then you’re missing a very important piece to the relationship puzzle.
The same applies to what you receive as well. If you aren’t receiving compliments or other positive reinforcements in your relationship, you may feel unappreciated. The act of expressing appreciation and offering compliments tells your partner they’re enough and a joy to be with. This same principal applies to people in general. The more they are praised for a behavior, the more of it they do. So, show your gratitude and appreciation.
The Best Medicine
How about a little laughter?
Another technique to build a close connection with one another is through humor and laughter. Studies show that people in relationships who spend time laughing and having a good time together claim to feel a deeper bond with their with their partner.
My husband and I laugh a lot with each other. There isn’t one day we don’t laugh about something or tell one another a joke, no matter how corny it is. For instance, the other day we went to Wal-Mart and we were walking by the bike section. We stopped because my husband was sharing with me stories about the bikes he rode as a kid. Off to the corner, we saw hula hoops! We ran over, grabbed a hula hoop and started hula hooping to see who could do it better. We found ourselves spending nearly an hour in the kids section being big kids and laughing the whole time!
Being in a relationship doesn’t mean you have to be serious all the time.
Today, I challenge you to find at least three compliments to give to your partner. It doesn’t matter how small it is. If it’s been a while since the two of you have laughed together, find activities that bring out your inner child in one another. At first, it may be a little tough to break the ice because the both of you may feel awkward, but keep trying.
Recent Comments