10 ways to make your relationship happier

relationships, relationship advice, how to have a happy relationship, key to a happy relationship

Finding that elusive recipe for long-lasting love can be an impossible task for most of us, but speaking to the Daily Mail, relationship expert Tracey Cox had these simple steps for a happier relationship.

1) Check your credit

It looks as though a good credit score is offering more than it used to. Cox reveals that couples who have similar healthy credit scores have stronger relationships. Apparently, this is because the qualities required to keep a good credit score, maturity, responsibility and impulse control are similar to those needed to maintain a healthy relationship.

2)“Communication is key”

It might seem like a tired old cliché but it got that way for a reason. It makes sense that knowing what your other half is thinking is a help but this isn’t entirely what Cox is referring to! She suggests that couple who engage in sexually explicit text messages (to each other) were more sexually satisfied than those who refrained from this activity.

3) Change your approach, not your partner

Cox’s third piece of advice suggests that you don’t treat your partner like a “fixer upper”. While all couples and individuals naturally evolve and change over time, trying to force your partner to change because you’re unhappy with the way they think, speak or act will only serve to undermine your relationship. Instead, Cox advises that you focus on a more accepting approach to your relationship.

4) Thank love for that!

We all know that feeling of appreciation when someone thanks us for a small favour. Showing some small form of gratitude to your partner could be the saviour to many relationships. Cox explains that smaller gestures of gratitude like “making a cup of tea” strengthen a relationship rather than extravagant declarations or gifts. So it looks like it’s time to tune out of the soppy rom-coms and turn on the kettle.

5) Get physical

Physical contact with your partner can have a wealth of benefits. Small acts of intimate contact like hand-holding can reduce stress, improve your mood and boost your “happy hormones”. And if you’re happier with your life in general, it will transfer into your romantic relationship also.

6) Have you passed the friend test?

We’ve all experienced the dreaded “meet the friends” scenario when we begin dating our other half. Most of the time we’re reduced to a nervous, bumbling wreck and according to Cox we have good reason to be. “If your friends don’t rate your partner, the chances of you being less committed, trusting and sexually communicative are high. You’re also likely to be more aggressive in the relationship than those whose friends do approve of their partner choice.”

7) Make time for that other kind of physical contact

This applied to a variety of relationships be it long-term, short-term, young, old, married or living together. Cox reveals that engaging in sex with your partner just once a week will be sufficient to make couples happier in their relationship.

8) Feel the rush in your relationship

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a relationship rut? The solution can be as simple as pushing yourself outside your comfort-zone. While the quiet romantic nights are ideal for building intimacy with your partner, something more liberating is needed to keep your relationship fresh.

9) Green should not be seen

We’d all like to think we react with overwhelming positivity when our other half accomplishes a goal. Yet, if it’s a ambition that we ourselves have a desire to achieve and have yet been unable to do so, it can instead leave resentment. Cox suggests that you try suppressing these negative feelings of competitiveness as you run the risk damaging your relationship over petty jealousy.

10) Take Elsa’s lead and let it go

Cox explains that while arguments and confrontations can be necessary resolve naturally occurring conflicts within a relationship. However, once the argument is over, drop it. If the issue really is resolved she advises against making it a recurring character in future arguments.

For more advice on lifestyle, sex and relationships visit www.traceycox.com.

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Originally posted 2016-01-14 18:19:03.