Keeping a relationship going happy and healthy takes effort as it is not always easy to be in a relationship, especially a long-term one. There are always highs and lows in life, and relationships are no exception. Couples who can navigate through challenging situations stand the test of time. As such, here are some tips on how to keep a relationship going strong. Happier and Healthier; and if you have not read part 1 of this article, 8 keys to maintain a happy relationship, you may choose to do so before or after reading this article.

1. To Keep Your Relationship Going Strong, Do Not Depend On Your Significant Other To Make You Happy.

To have a strong relationship, neither party should have the burden of the responsibility to keep the other party happy. That is not realistic and can be too much of a burden for a person to handle. Every individual should be responsible for their happiness. To be clear, however, this does not mean that you cannot do things to make your partner happy. On the contrary, you should. However, the distinction is that nobody’s happiness should depend on another person. Both parties in a relation must have self-love and be complete in themselves.

This way you can better enjoy each other’s company a lot more. And the best way to be happy is to make someone else happy. Read more here: Be kind: 10 Great ways to show kindness.

2. To keep a good relationship going strong, maintain open communication.

Communication breakdown in a relationship is the beginning of the end if you allow it to continue, as this can lead to many further problems. There must be mutual loyalty and trust for a healthy, happy relationship, which can be adversely affected by a breakdown in communication.

In essence, there should always be open lines of communication for a relationship to be healthy for the parties involved. You should be able to talk to your significant other about anything, especially important things to you, no matter how trivial they seem.

People in healthy relationships do not avoid conflict but can have honest conversations with their partners to resolve the conflict amicably. If your relationship is having a breakdown in communication and you and your partner have tried to fix things to no avail, you should consider talking to a therapist.

Furthermore, It is worthy of note that, in communicating with your partner, especially when angry, you should always be mindful of your choice of words. Do not say things you will regret. Words are potent and can cause irreparable damage, as you cannot take back hurtful words. In other words, there must be mutual respect in a relationship for the parties to be happy and have a healthy relationship.

3. Exercise Together.

Doing physical activities with your partner is great for your relationship; even little things like grocery shopping or furniture together help foster the bond between you and your partner. However, physical activity such as exercising together will bring you and your partner together, increase your sexual and romantic arousal towards each other, improve your general health and increase the satisfaction you feel in your relationship. In a nutshell, when you exercise with your significant other, you will feel lighter on your feet, sexy and in love!

4. Go On Vacation Or Staycation With Your Partner.

A vacation with your partner, away from your everyday life and routines, can be very invigorating for a relationship, helping to keep it fun and exciting. However, you could also travel separately for short trips with friends or family at times, which is still beneficial for a relationship as long as you also make time to travel together.

A staycation is also a great option for couples and can be less expensive. In the unlikely event that you are wondering what a staycation is, it involves a vacation spent in the country you are domiciled in without having to go abroad. You can have a staycation in a hotel or even at home with day trips to see local attractions and so on.

Spending quality time alone, meeting friends or perhaps making new ones, or having adventures without your significant other can also be very invigorating and empowering for you, especially if you and your significant other spend most of your time together. Spending quality time alone will also allow you to miss your partner and enjoy their company more when you have united again. Read more on the benefits of spending quality time alone. Essentially, you will reunite with your significant other more recharged, excited, and in love than ever.

5. Do Not Be Too Serious. Laugh and Have Fun.

When people are together for a long time, things can get a little too serious, perhaps due to the stress of work, finances, kids, chores, etc., which can have a detrimental effect on your relationship if you allow it to. So, be conscious and live in the present. Living in the present will enable you to sense when things are going down south in your relationship. You and your partner will then be able to work on things earlier. Thus, preventing things from getting worse and harder to fix.

Having Fun with your partner and laughing has numerous benefits for the health of your relationship. Laughter can help reduce stress as it can relax your whole body. It can also help to boost your immune system and release endorphins. Smiling and laughing will make you feel better even when it is forced. So, even when you and your significant other are both having a rough day, try smiling and laughing for no reason. Just the physical act of laughing respectively, whether forced or not, will help make you happier and healthier. Of course, this will positively impact your relationship.

So do not be too serious all the time. Take a break and laugh with your partner, and do all the fun little you did together when you first met. Laugh at old pictures, share funny Tiktok videos, and just make time to have fun together as often as you can; this will strengthen your relationship and make it happier and healthier. Check out this post if you have Ever Wondered What Women Wish Men Knew About Women. This will give more clues on maintaining a happy relationship with your significant other.

6. Eat Together As A Couple And Family To Promote A Happy, Healthy, And Long-Lasting Relationship.

Eating together as a couple and a family has many benefits. Especially concerning eating healthy foods at a table. Eating healthy foods together as a family aids in the promotion of good family eating habits and nutrition. Easting together at the dinner table also provide a sacred place and a set time every day for family bonding with laughter and great conversations.

Ever heard the saying “families that eat together, stay together”? Therefore, the dinner table is a place for couples and their family members to disconnect from devices and connect with each other whilst receiving nourishment from a lovely dinner and spiritual nourishment from the fellowship of spending that quality time together as the day nears an end.

7. The Experts Recommend Having  Sex Everyday For A Happy Relationship.

Sex is not an openly discussed topic in a lot of cultures. That notwithstanding, its benefits are undeniable in relationships. Procreation aside, healthy sex life in a relationship helps keep the trust and bond between the couple, thus strengthening the longevity and health of the relationship. In addition, sex can help to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and lower blood pressure. Therefore, healthy sex life in a relationship will help keep the relationship long-lasting and happy and contribute to the couple’s general health.

In reality, however, having sex regularly depends on many factors such as work demands, a big family that equals more responsibility and on. So, depending on how practical or otherwise, for you and your partner to have sex every other day, as often as possible should suffice as long as you both are happy. If you or you and your partner are both unhappy with your current sex life, then talk about it with your partner and consciously make the necessary adjustment to accommodate the changes you desire.

8. Spice Things Up And Switch Routines And Roles Every Now And Then.

Monotonous activities, set roles, and routines can make the relationship seem stagnant and downright dull. In other words, for most people, it is not fun to do the same things every day, all year round. So, spice and shake things up now and then to keep your relationship exciting and fun. If the wife always cooks, the hubby has to step up and make some meals and vice versa if the husband always cooks. Same with driving, school pick-ups, drop-offs, etc., keep things exciting and switch roles now and then.

Also, if your partner usually initiates sex, perhaps it is your turn to spice it up and be the initiator. It goes without saying that switching roles in the bedroom can shake and spice things up in a relationship.

Switching roles and mixing things up in a relationship is very healthy for a happy and long-lasting relationship. It will help both parties see things from each other’s perspective and appreciate what they do for each other and their family that they may not have noticed or perhaps taken for granted. Switching roles up will also help to strengthen the bond in the relationship as both parties appreciate each other more for their efforts and contribution to the relationship.

9. For A Happy and Long-Lasting Relationship, Do Not Go to Sleep Angry With Your Partner.

Nobody knows what tomorrow shall bring. We are sure of the present and perhaps the past, which is long gone. So, imagine if you never got to see or speak to your partner again (‘God forbid’ / ‘knock on wood‘), and the last time you talked to your partner, you both had said harsh things to each other. It would be torturous to have to live with that. Also, when issues are not resolved quickly, they fester and potentially cause damage to a relationship.

So, to have a long-lasting and happy relationship, and the fact that your sleep could also be affected, it is better not to go to sleep angry with your partner. Even if you are both unable to sort out whatever the issue is, at the very least, agree to disagree for the moment on a good note and set a time for the next day to discuss and resolve the issue. The fact is because you and your significant other argue or disagree on things does not mean you do not love each other.

10. Be understanding and tolerant of physical changes in your significant other.

The only constant in life is change. It is impractical to expect your significant other to look the same as the day you met them some odd years later. As such, you should expect some physical change in your significant other’s appearance and be aware that you are also changing physically.

In other words, as you and your partner age together, you will mature mentally and change physically. Perhaps since you both have become so comfortable and used to each other, you may be quick to point out flaws in each other. However, to have a long-lasting and happy relationship, no matter how wrinkly or old your partner may look, always say they look beautiful to you.

You should love your partner not just for how they look but also for other wonderful traits they possess. So, do not mention your partner’s bald spot, stretch marks and so on, but if you must, positively refer to them, staying conscious of how your partner feels. The last thing you would want to do is make your partner feel bad about themselves. You should be their number 1 cheerleader for a lasting relationship.

11. Do Not Forget Your Manners, Little Things, Count.

The little things in life add up to make big things; this principle also applies in relationships, for little do count. You should be polite to your partner, say please and thank you, offer to fetch a drink and be generally nice and pleasant as you would to a guest in your home, for instance. Of course, this should not be taken to the extreme, as you would be more comfortable around your significant other, joking around and stuff. But the point is not to forget your manner because you are in a relationship or have been together for years.