Your Relationship in 2018

I hope everyone is off to a good start of 2018.  I’m so happy to be doing what I love and taking care of myself. I tell all my clients that there is nothing that I tell them that I don’t do in my own relationship so I thought I’d share my top 5 ideas on how to keep your relationship going strong in the new year.

Top 5 Idea to Keep Your Relationship Strong

1. Hello and Goodbye Rituals – I know it seems as if this is no biggie, but in reality, it really is!  To greet your partner and for them to greet you back when you come home or leave the house is the first step to staying connected. I tell people that no matter what’s going on, you have 3 seconds to kiss, hug, high five or whatever your ritual becomes.  Acknowledgement goes a long way when you want to stay connected.
2. Stress Reducing Conversation – This one is also very important because if you do even have time to say hello/goodbye, then you have stress in your life.  If you do, you need to talk about it.  If you have no idea what I am talking about, then all you need to do is sit with your partner without any distractions and talk about a stress in your life.  Your partner needs to listen and give empathetic support.  Don’t give advice or take the other’s person side.  Then switch listener/speaker roles.  Trust me, it will help reduce the stress and you’ll feel closer too!
3. Dates – Maybe this one should be a given but often, when I meet people, they tell me that dates are the last thing they think of.  Really?  How do you plan on connecting?  Okay, maybe hiring a babysitter is not in the cards for you. You can take turns watching kids with another couple or even have dates at home.  The point is to have them and keep having them.  Ask each other out and make it special!
4. 10 Minute Talks – There are a ton of conversational starters out there to help you have conversations if you are stuck on talking about your job, kids, house, etc. Find a relationship conversation starter and start taking at least 10 minutes a day.
5. Give Appreciation – Talk nice to each other and compliment each other on what’s working. Give each other a reason to keep on doing what you want them to do.  When you ask nicely, it helps and when you give appreciation, it helps make you feel loved and cherished.

So, those are to me the top 5 that I use to help my relationship. I do not pretend to be perfect at everything.  But I also know that you cannot have a good relationship if you don’t put the effort in.

How About Those 2018 Relationship Goals?

You can add some of these to your relationship and see how it goes.  Let me know!