When I talk about long-term relationships, most automatically think of romantic relationships but this is not the case. Relationships of any kind take a lot of work, especially if you want the relationships in your life to be long-lasting and healthy. This includes your relationships with your family members, parents, children, friends, coworkers…. any and all relationships take effort.
Human beings are social creatures. Relationships and connections to others are how we thrive. It’s important to develop and maintain healthy relationships in order for them to last.
Recently, I posed this question in my Facebook group, “How do you maintain a long-term, healthy relationship?”
The feedback and advice posted were so helpful and insightful that I just had to share it here with you!
Tips to maintaining a long-term, healthy relationship:
- Showing mutual respect, even when you disagree with each other.
- Acceptance. Anyone going into any kind of relationship with intent to “change” the other person will be sorely disappointed.
- Seek to understand, and even if you don’t share the same point of view, learn to communicate despite that difference.
- Be yourself from the beginning. That way you’ll know if you really click with that person. If you have to hide your true self from them to any degree the relationship can’t thrive.
- Keep up with courtship.
- You need a deep and abiding love for one another and friendship too.
- Communication is vital, always be willing to listen to a different side, be willing to compromise.
- Never go to bed angry.
- Have the desire to keep connecting.
- Relationships need your focus, your grace, and your humor.
- Learn how to be able to see things from their point of view and do not assume that you are always right. Never keep score.
- Never use the phrase, “You always do (insert thing that annoys you here).
- Stop and think about things from their perspective even when it’s different than yours.
- Have compassion and learn how to argue respectfully.
- Don’t put the other person down, even when you’re mad.
- Knowing when to separate and take time to think and cool down if things get heated during a disagreement is really important.
- Have fun together! Do things together that make you laugh and bring you both lots of joy!
- Never take them for granted.
- Be their biggest fan! Pump them up when they are being creative or trying something new and feeling uncertain of themselves or when they are having a rough day.
- If something is important to you, tell them before it becomes relevant.
- When you’re in an argument, remember that it isn’t you vs them, it’s both of you against the problem. Now the problem might be someone’s behavior, but it isn’t about getting even or hurting the other, it’s about coming into a better place.
- Communication! Talk about everything, hide nothing.
All of these amazing pieces of advice can be tailored to fit any relationship in your life. Relationships take a lot of work no matter who it is with. It’s up to you if that relationship is worth the effort or not.
Do any of these pieces of advice resonate with you? Did we miss anything? Let me know in the comments or at info@accordingtodes.com