How to improve your relationship starting this morning!
Since our interactions influence how we look at our entire day, then why not make our lives better. For some this might mean hanging out with friends all day, some more annoying, some more boring, some really fun, but your best friend should be in your bedroom or at least a phone call away. A good relationship is one in which partners respect, love and trust each other, but also demonstrate these things to each other. Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight, but you can take small steps every morning towards the life you want.
Wake up 10 minutes earlier to have tea/coffee together
Think about whether you ever have breakfast together during the week and if the answer is no then you need to fix this. This is a habit that strengthens any relationship, just as a good business meeting is done over coffee, because it takes time to drink and between sips it offers many opportunities to communicate. Psychologists recommend setting your alarm to go off ten minutes early so you have time for the two of you before you each start your working day. Although it will seem harder at first, in time you will get used to it and the results will soon show and it will become one of the rituals you will look forward to.
Compliment each other
Being kind and gentle is always a good idea and you should not forget that besides the daily chores you should remind your partner how much they mean to you, which will surely be appreciated. Tell him daily why and how much you love him, why you fell in love with him initially and how you have changed for the better since you met him or how proud you are of his achievements. Researchers have found that in order to balance the situation in your relationship, for every negative thing you say or do, you need to do five more positive things. Compliments such as “I really liked the way you handled the internet providers today” or “congratulations on standing up to the manager” or “you smell nice”, “you look great in that shirt”, may seem like nothing, but they are small things that really count.
Communicate openly about anything
It’s already known that it’s not good to go to bed angry, but it’s even more important to say absolutely everything that’s on your mind. If you wake up in the morning and feel the need to say something to your partner, to clear your soul so that you can go back to being the two lovebirds you usually are, don’t hesitate, it may only take five minutes of your time to save the rest of your life. Morning anyway is the best time to set the tone for the day so anyone who doesn’t want to be angry for 24 hours, aloof to anyone or even mean to anyone who doesn’t deserve it, had better let loose with the talking and hugging, the sooner the better.
Take time to look at each other in silence
Remember when you were just starting to go out together how much you missed each other and how you waited with bated breath to see each other? That’s part of falling in love in the beginning, but it’s never too late to look long and hard at each other sometimes, while trying to read each other’s thoughts or just imprinting in your mind every trait of the one you love. Over time, people tend not to look at each other so much, with the idea that they’re together anyway, but it’s very important to recreate those butterflies-in-the-stomach feelings frequently and it’s all about the two of you, how much time you invest in your relationship and whether or not you have eyes for someone else. The best time to look at each other innocently is early in the morning, first thing in the morning, just after you wake up, because then everything is natural and there are fewer distractions. Plus, that’s when you are most relaxed, side by side. It may sound syrupy, but you’ll notice how pleasant it is as soon as you try this “exercise”, and the worst that can happen is that you both snort with laughter, a very pleasant way to start your day.
Tell jokes
The important thing is to joke with each other, to try to make each other laugh, not to instantly become a master of good jokes. You need to find out what you both like and develop your sense of humour together, but don’t go too far. It’s okay if you both prefer the more dirty language, but if you know that your partner is more serious by nature, try to remain civil in your expression. Also, if you have your own personal joke that only you can understand, use it until it becomes laughable, because a dose of laughter is always beneficial. Researchers have found that one of the things that strengthen a romantic relationship is saying or texting something funny while your partner is at work or when you’re both getting ready to leave home. Acting silly and bringing out the child in you de-stresses and creates a permanent bond without any shame.
Say “good morning” and “goodbye”.
It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many forget to say these words and how important they actually are. If before you close your laptop and leave work you say goodbye to your colleagues, it would be nice to do the same at home, at least before you walk out the door. Just as you greet your neighbours when you leave the block or your friends after you have been out on the town, you should also greet your loved ones at home. Your partner deserves respect and not saying anything when you walk out the door shows how much (or little) you care about the person you share your life with and this can make them sad or feel ignored and unappreciated, even if it wasn’t necessarily your intention. Mornings can be very demanding and a simple “bye” or “goodbye” are just as important as “hello”, failing to say these words can lead to hard-to-repair relationship rifts and feelings of confusion.
