Are you in a committed relationship? Do you sometimes wonder how to make your relationship even stronger? Go over this checklist often to remind yourself of important things you can do to bring you closer to your partner and to strengthen your bond.
Grow Together, Not Apart
- Keep up the spirit of a newly dating couple by continuing to date throughout your relationship.
- Explore new experiences together in order to grow in new ways and get to know each other in unique settings.
- Share your interests with your partner, and show interest in theirs.
- Begin couples counseling or coaching early in order to build healthy habits and continue to grow as a team. You don’t have to go to couples counseling only when things are in crisis.
Rules of Engagement
- Understand that disagreements are a normal part of all relationships, but knowing how to argue is an important tool to exercise.
- Speak in terms of yourself and your feelings rather than in accusations.
- Be mindful of your body language and the volume of your voice. Keep body language open and your voice at a normal speaking volume.
- Focus on one disagreement at a time in order to come up with one solution at a time.
Four Paths to Intimacy
- Sexual intimacy is NOT the sole form of intimacy! Physical, emotional, intellectual, and experiential intimacy are four ways of achieving greater feelings of closeness with your partner.
Mixing Finances with Romance
- Communication about money is necessary.
- Honesty is the most important quality when it comes to discussing money.
- Work together to come up with a budget that is realistic.
- Share responsibility for financial tracking and budgeting.
Catch Life’s Curveballs
- Supporting your partner does NOT mean that you have to save them.
- Listen with compassion and provide support.
- Encourage your significant other reach out for professional help when needed.
Interdependent, Not Codependent
- Codependent relationships are built upon too much sacrifice and not enough self. (Read more about that here.)
- Strike a balance and foster an interdependent relationship with your partner. You can do this by taking care of yourself and pursuing
your own interests