When you’re in a relationship, you care about the person you’re paired up with. You want to do what’s best for them. But often, we can find this difficult, as we try to navigate our way through what’s best for us individually, what’s best for one another and what’s best for us together. Being a good partner can actually be a lot more difficult than you’d initially think. The good news is that if you’re trying, and if you’re seeking ways to constantly improve your relationship, you’re already part of the way there. Here are some top tips that could help you to be a better partner to your loved one on a day to day basis!
Understand their Love Language
There are five love languages that most of us exhibit and like to receive. Different individuals care about some more than others, so it’s a good idea to get to know your partner’s love language in order to better cater to it. The love languages are: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. Word of affirmation means telling your partner how much you care about them and how great they are. Acts of service means making small, thoughtful gestures for your loved one. Receiving gifts means picking up small gifts for your partner as tokens of love and gratitude. Quality time is pretty self explanatory and involves spending one to one time with your partner. Physical touch can vary from holding hands to kisses, hugs, cuddles and more. If you’re unsure what your partner’s love language is, there are plenty of quizzes out there that can help you to identify it.
Being Honest
Honesty goes a long way in a relationship. Sure, we all tell small white lies every now and then, perhaps telling our partner they look good when they’ve looked better or saying we’ve enjoyed a meal that wasn’t actyally that great. But in the grand scheme of things, honesty is the best policy. This can sometimes be hard, especially if the honesty is that things aren’t working out. In situations like this, however, you can use mediators like Natalie Chase to help with the harder processes.
Clear Boundaries
Understanding what you both feel is acceptable and unacceptable is extremely important. This will prevent you from unintentionally hurting one another with your words or actions. Different people have different ideas of what behaviour is okay and what is hurtful, so understanding what your partner feels will reduce room for accidental error.
Treat as You’d Like to Be Treated
As with any relationship in life – family, friends, partners, colleagues, acquaintances, strangers – it’s always best to treat others how you’d like to be treated. If you wouldn’t like your partner to do something in your relationship, you should avoid doing it too. This will create a sense of fairness and will ensure that everyone is treated with the same respect. It can reduce conflict and will help your relationship in the long run.
These are just a few starter steps, but they should get your relationship on track!
