Relationships take
effort, understanding, and mutual respect to survive and thrive. Whether you’ve
been together 5 years, or 50, or are dating or married, challenges will come up every now and then. When times get tough, you need strategies to
help you overcome any obstacle, from emotional disconnect to not communicating
effectively. These foundational elements are crucial in relationships, whether
you are dating or already married. Most of the time, making small but
intentional changes can significantly impact the strength and longevity of your
partnership.
Keep reading for actionable,
expert-backed relationship advice that will help you build a stronger
connection with your partner and enrich your life. You’ll learn ways to
navigate relationship challenges while fostering mutual growth. If
you want to strengthen your bond, improve communication, rekindle romance, or
establish shared goals, the following relationship tips for couples are
designed to inspire positive change.
Expert-Recommended
Tips to Build a Stronger Relationship
All relationships have the potential to
grow and evolve. The relationship help offered here shows you how to enhance
communication skills, deepen emotional connections, and learn to collaborate
more effectively.
Here are the 10 best relationship tips
for couples who want to repair or strengthen their connection.
1.
Communicate openly and honestly
For decades, studies have
consistently shown that healthy communication is a predictor of future
happiness in a relationship. Communicating in straightforward, intentional ways
ensures partners feel safe when sharing their thoughts, feelings, and concerns
openly. It also helps prevent misunderstandings, so resentments don’t start
building. This is particularly important when navigating the common challenges of
interracial relationships, where different cultural norms might add
complexity to communication styles.
“It is important to address issues as they arise.
Asking our partners for consent to share—ensuring it’s the right time—and
focusing on our own feelings rather than blaming them increases the likelihood
of working through difficult emotions together.”
Effective communication is a skill that
takes work. You must learn to express yourself, but you also need to figure out
how your partner communicates and shares their love. Don’t feel bad if
communication is a source of stress in your relationship; it is for many
couples. There are many communication exercises for couples that you
can try out to communicate better in your relationship.
Expert tip: It helps to use effective communication tools,
like active listening, where you listen more than you speak. There’s also power
in “I” statements, which eliminates blame and reduces the chance of
defensiveness.
2.
Prioritize quality time together
When life gets busy, it can feel
challenging to make time for your partner. Spending intentional, dedicated,
distraction-free time together is crucial for maintaining a strong bond.
Quality time deepens emotional intimacy and helps you reconnect on a raw,
meaningful level.
Expert tip: Plan a non-negotiable weekly (or bi-weekly) date
night, take a walk together, hold hands, or share a meal — commit to doing any
(or all!) of these things to nurture your relationship.
3.
Practice gratitude regularly
Giving and receiving gratitude is
essential in relationships. It’s a powerful way to show love and appreciation
for each other. According to research, both perceived and expressed
gratitude offer positive results in a relationship. Perceived gratitude is when
your partner shows they’re grateful for you, and expressed gratitude is when
you show how much you appreciate them. Something as simple as offering a
heartfelt “thank you” goes a long way in making your partner feel valued.
Expert tip: Make a conscientious effort to show that you’re
grateful for your partner. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture — give them a
card or sweet note, grab their favorite treat or snack as a “just-because”
gift, or say, “Thank you, I see and really appreciate all that you do.”
4.
Resolve conflicts with empathy
At some point, you will have
a disagreement or even a fight with your partner. Healthy conflict resolution
skills are a game changer that can make all the difference in your
relationship. Beyond that, studies show a link
between how couples approach conflict and physical health, which is even more
of an incentive to learn how to resolve disagreements — it’s literally good for
you.
Expert tip: To prevent minor issues from escalating into
major sources of tension, approach them with empathy and patience rather than
blame or anger. In a tumultuous relationship, mastering empathetic
conflict resolution can help you both navigate difficult times more
effectively.
“The first step in any hard conversation is to
understand our role in why things went wrong. Closely behind that is the need
to genuinely listen to our partners rather than develop our next argument when
they are talking. Supporting everyone’s feelings and making space for them is
significantly more important than arguing content.”
5.
Maintain individual identities
Being in a healthy relationship means
not losing yourself or your identity to your partner. Spending all your time
and energy on the things that are important to them means
you’re neglecting your own self-needs. Prioritize doing things that fulfill you
and offer opportunities for self-growth.
Expert tip: Find your interests and hobbies. Focusing on
self-growth can enhance your sense of fulfillment, making you a better
partner.
6.
Set shared goals as a team
When couples work together toward
mutual goals, they foster collaboration that strengthens their bond. Saving for
a home or retirement, planning a vacation, or building a healthier lifestyle
are all goals that can give you a sense of purpose and unity.
Expert tip: Creating relationship goals can be more
than just planning for the future — you’re aligning values and your priorities
as a couple. To start, have an open conversation about what you both find
important in life. Then, you can look for overlaps that make sense to work
toward.
7.
Support each other’s mental and emotional health
Partners should be each other’s safe
space, where both people feel heard and understood. Especially during
challenging times, prioritizing each other’s mental and emotional health is one
of the best relationship tips for couples who want to improve their
relationship.
Expert tip: Check in with your partner regularly about how
they’re doing — even if things seem fine. Asking can lighten their load and
open the door if they need help. Don’t hesitate to suggest they seek professional
assistance if they’re struggling. Sometimes, therapy is necessary to overcome
mental health concerns.
8.
Keep the romance alive
Over time, the romance in a long-term
relationship can fade and one or both partners can start feeling lonely in
the relationship. If you’re feeling disconnected from your partner, there are
several simple but effective ways to reignite the passion and romantic love you
once felt for each other.
Expert tip: Regularly showing affection with words, touch,
and acts of kindness can help keep intimacy alive. Leave a surprise love note,
plan a special date, or make them their favorite meal or treat as a reminder
that you’re still in love with them and willing to work on your
relationship.
9.
Invest in relationship education
Relationships depend on both partners
putting in the work. Investing in your relationship shows you’re willing to learn,
improve, and grow together while enriching your lives. Reading books, attending
workshops, or going to couples therapy are all places you can find tools for
growth. Relationship education can also provide strategies to cope with
relationship stress, giving you the skills to manage tough situations and
improve communication, ultimately helping you build a stronger and more
resilient connection.
Expert tip: Developing communication and problem-solving
skills will improve your relationship. Invest in resources that offer new
perspectives and strategies to deepen your understanding of each other and
foster love.
10.
Build a foundation of trust
Trust is fundamental to healthy,
long-term, successful relationships. It’s built through honesty, reliability,
and transparency that shows your partner they can depend on you. Keeping your
promises and being fiercely honest builds a sense of security and stability
that can carry your relationship during the more difficult patches.
Expert tip: Trust is cultivated through consistency,
reliability, and transparency and is crucial for a happy and healthy marriage.
When your partner believes they can trust you, they’ll feel secure and valued.
Trust issues can damage relationships if not addressed with love and care. If
trust has been broken, start healing by showing up for the tough conversations,
following through on promises (even small ones), and staying committed to
overcoming challenges when they arise.
“Words are cheap. However, someone who can
acknowledge where they messed up and commit to doing better in the future is
everything. Our partners want to see the change applied rather than be told
that the change is on its way. Walking the talk is the best way to work
through trust issues in a relationship.”
Putting
These Tips into Action
It’s natural to feel a little
overwhelmed when trying to rebuild or reconnect with your partner, but with
love and perseverance, growth is achievable. Remember that improving a
relationship won’t happen overnight, and you don’t need to make any immediate, drastic
changes. Focus on 1 or 2 relationship tips that resonate with your needs. Then,
you can gradually incorporate others over time.
The keys to improving your
relationship are:
- Being patient
- Having reasonable expectations for the outcome
of your efforts
- Staying committed to growth and change
Strengthening Your
Relationship, One Step at a Time
No relationship is perfect, but
there’s always the potential to grow stronger — using expert-backed
relationship tips can help. When you’re intentional and have mutual respect,
your partnership can thrive, even when it’s hard.
Take action today to build the
relationship you want and deserve. Whether you need to focus on improving
communication, sparking romance, or finding shared goals and aspirations to
work toward, small steps can create meaningful change. If you need more
support, it might be time to consider couples' therapy.
Online couples therapy is an
excellent place to learn additional relationship tips for couples. Reach out to
Talkspace today for good relationship advice that can change the course you
and your partner have been on.
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