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10 tips on how to improve any relationship

Physical contact, whether it is a great big hug, holding hands, or simply sitting close together on the sofa, will increase the bond you feel with one another and make your relationship stronger

Happy couple

It can happen to anyone; you get so wrapped up in the day to day problems of life, you forget that a relationship needs your attention too. One of the first signs that a relationship is heading in the wrong direction is that proper communication ceases and disputes and arguments become more frequent and they remain hanging in the air, like a bad odour, unresolved.

That’s when action needs to be taken to stop the problems getting any worse. Here are ten things that any couple can do to put their relationship back on track.

1. Talk about it

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If you read any relationship advice you will always find that good communication is always listed as one of the key elements required in any good relationship. So, if your relationship hasn’t been quite what it could have been recently, the first thing you need to do is start talking to your partner about it.

Honesty and openness are prerequisites for a healthy relationship, so get issues out in the open, and start working together to resolve them.

2. Hold back on petty criticism

Another good tip on how to improve relationship is to focus more on what your partner is doing right and less in what they do that annoys you. If you keep picking up on the little petty things that they do, your partner will either become withdrawn and defensive, or they will just fight back with little snips of their own.

Getting rid of the little digs will open the door for more serious communication about the things that really matter.

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3. Try some small acts of kindness

One of great tips on how to improve relationship is to try some small acts of kindness. The little things that you do for one another really can make all the difference to a relationship.

If you are making yourself a cup of coffee, why not make one for your partner as well and take it to them? It is this type of thoughtfulness and kindness that will be really very much appreciated and remembered.

4. Don’t assume that you know what your partner is thinking

Whenever we try to second-guess what anybody means, or why they behaved in a certain fashion, we inevitably get it wrong because we tend to assume that they think in exactly the same way as we do.

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Don’t jump to assumptions about your partner, talk about it and find out the truth. Listen carefully to what they say too, and that way, you will both gain a better understanding of each other.

5. Show your gratitude

Another thing that people often get out of the habit of doing is simply saying thank you to one another.

Showing a bit of gratitude to your partner for the things that they do, and for just being the person they are, will show them that they are wanted and give them some more confidence in the relationship.

6. Find the right time to talk

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Next tip on how to improve relationship is to find the proper time to talk. Finding the right time to raise a thorny subject is a skill that you need in all types of relationships. You wouldn’t ask your boss for a raise, right after they learned that they have lost a big contract, so put the same degree of thought into picking your moments to talk to your partner.

If the topic you need to discuss is a serious one, make sure that your partner is not already stressed out about something else and that there will be enough time to discuss the issue properly.

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7. Be more present when you are with your partner

Make more time to be with each other in circumstances where there will be no distractions, like the TV being on, or phones ringing.

You could go out for walks together, make sure you eat your meals together, and go to bed at the same time. Little things like these will give you more time to talk, and more time to get closer.

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8. Don’t forget the hugs

This is one of the most important tips on how to improve relationship. Giving each other a hug will go along way to bringing you closer together.

Physical contact, whether it is a great big hug, holding hands, or simply sitting close together on the sofa, will increase the bond you feel with one another and make your relationship stronger. You don’t have to take our word for it; there have been numerous studies that have proven to value of physical contact in a relationship.

9. Ask some questions

People do change over time, but many couples forget that and they just assume that their partner is exactly the same as they were ten years ago. It can be quite revealing to ask your partner about their likes and their dislikes and any new things that they might like to try.

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You will probably find that you have both changed more than you thought and you could find some new and interesting things that you’d both like to do together, according to Beauty and Tips

10. Don’t stop showing your love

If you’d be suspicious that your partner had been up to something if he brought you some flowers unexpectedly, then you’ve both, quite obviously, got out of the habit of being romantic.

Don’t leave it until Valentine’s Day or an anniversary to show your love, do it any day, just because you feel like it. It’s the little gestures and the kind words that keep a relationship ticking along nicely.

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