Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and hopefully you remembered to do something nice for your significant other – flowers, an act of kindness, a nice dinner.
It’s important to take time out of the hustle and bustle to nurture your relationship with a special moment, but as anyone who has been married for a long time knows, it takes more than roses once a year to maintain a strong relationship.
At Brandermill Woods, we have a number of residents who have been married for many years, so they know a thing or two about how to maintain a healthy relationship. For them, it all boils down to good communication and keeping the old magic alive. With that in mind, here are five things you can do every day to nurture your relationship by showing you care:
1. Buy a treat for no reason. It’s expected that you might buy a little something for your partner on holidays, anniversaries or birthdays. But a small gift on a random Tuesday – perhaps a book, or a CD, or if you want to splurge, a new watch – will make your partner’s day and give them a boost to get through the week.
2. Play hooky and treat them to lunch. Everyone loves a lunch date, and the only thing better than a lunch date is a surprise lunch date, especially if you previously had a plate of congealed leftovers on the menu. Call your partner up and say you’re treating them to a fun lunch out, and they’ll be your best friend for life.
3. Listen to what your partner is saying. “Irreconcilable differences” is one of the most commonly cited causes for divorce, and “irreconcilable differences” is another way of saying “failure to communicate.” Too often, we forget that true communication is a two-way street, and we have to listen to what our partner is saying for successful communication.
4. Remember to HALT. Along similar lines, the “HALT” method may sound goofy but it really works. The idea is that if you and your partner find yourselves at an impasse, pause for a moment. It’s quite likely that one of you is Hungry, Angry, Low or Tired. Have a snack. Take a rest. Revisit the issue later. Removing those HALT barriers may solve the issue completely.
5. Offer to wash dishes tonight. Maybe you and your partner try to do equal amounts of housework, but there’s nonetheless a good chance you’ve fallen behind. No one likes to do the dishes, so even if you are ahead in the housework tally, your partner will truly appreciate the offer of doing the dishes (and they may even help you dry).
What do you do to nurture your relationship? Visit our Facebook page and share your tips with us today.
