Being in a relationship is a balancing act which few people truly achieve. From the early stages of your time together to your anniversaries in years to come, you will always have to work hard to keep the person you love happy. This sort of skill can’t be taught, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be learned, and this post is here to help you out. To give you an idea of the areas you can improve to strengthen your bond, it will be exploring the subtle complexities at play when you’re attempting to make your other half happy.

Listening

The very first area for you to consider here is the way that you listen to the person you’re with. It will become very apparent if you’re often day-dreaming or ignoring your loved one, and this can be an easy way to make someone upset, making them feel as if you don’t care. Listen to someone is a lot more than just hearing them, though. Along with this, you have to take what they’re saying on board, ensuring that you can continue the conversation with ease.

At points in your relationship, there will be joint decisions which have to be made, and you may even have to address a complaint from your partner. In these cases, showing that you’ve listened is a simple matter of taking the right action. Sometimes, these situations will be a little more complicated, and you will have to work hard to prove that things have been taken in. No one likes it if they don’t think their voice is being heard, especially in a relationship.

When you’re talking to your girlfriend or boyfriend, it is very important to make sure that you’re avoiding distractions. Using your phone or watching television while having a conversation will make it impossible to truly listen. If you choose to indulge in entertainment over talking to someone, it will make them feel like you care more about something unimportant. No one wants to come second place to an electronic device.

Spending Time Together

Time is the next factor to consider when you’re in a relationship. It can be very easy to allow yourself to become swept up in work, education, and other parts of life when you’re with someone, making it hard to manage the limited amounts of time you have. Unfortunately, though, like these elements, your love life will also need some work if you hope for it to become more serious.

A big part of this could involve doing things which you don’t really enjoy, but your partner does. Most people want to be able to experience the things they enjoy with those they care about the most. To be able to give this gift to your loved one, it will be important to work hard to give them the chance to share their experiences with you. For example, if they like the theatre, buying some tickets to a show they will like could be a great idea, even if you’re not very keen on the idea of it yourself.

The Things You Can’t Forget

Caring about someone is more than simply being there for them each and every day. Along with this, you also have to consider the things which are important to them, especially when it comes to time. Below a list of events which can never be forgotten can be found. If you accidently miss out on something like this, you will very much make them feel like you don’t care about them, and this will lead to unhappiness.

• Birthdays: Forgetting someone’s birthday is a very damaging thing to do. Nowadays, this sort of celebration is important to almost everyone, and most people will want to do something to celebrate it. Along with providing something exciting or new to your loved one, you should also consider a small gift to make the day even better. For birthdays, almost anything makes a good gift, as long as it’s thoughtful.
• Anniversaries: Along with the time you spend on someone’s birthday, most couples will also celebrate their anniversary together. Whether this is the day you first met or got married, it can still be very important to someone, and the right gift will do the trick to make it all the better. Gold dipped roses are a great traditional gift for this sort of occasion, and there are loads of others to choose from. Of course, like a birthday, this sort of option has to be well thought out.
• Religious/Cultural: If your partner comes from another country or belongs to a different faith, you will have to work hard to make sure you’re considering this on your schedule. Both religions and cultures will have their own important seasonal events and occasions. For someone belonging to them, they will be very important, and having their partner do it with them will be very enriching.

Handling Arguments

It’s impossible to spend years of your life with someone without having the occasional row along with way. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that these times have to be bad, as you have the chance to work them out as they come. The most important part of this is timing. Leaving something for more than a couple of hours will make the other person grow bitter, and this can be a very toxic emotion to have within a relationship. Even if you have to swallow your pride, apologizing and moving on is often the best move.

Being Committed

Commitment is a very scary thing for young people in the modern world. With house prices soaring and people earning less, for example, it can be hard for you to balance the important parts of life when you’re trying to be committed to someone. Of course, a small attitude change can make all the difference. It can be a daunting idea when you consider spending your life with someone. But, when the right one comes along, it will be easy to tell that you’ve found a winner.

As part of this, you have to be willing to show your commitment, and this can come in many different forms. Renting a place together, for example, is a very safe and secure early step to take, as it shows you think they’re important without putting too much on the line. As time goes on, you can begin to think about the idea of marriage or buying a home, but this will be down to you. Showing you are committed to someone is showing that you care about them.

Working Together

Valuing someone’s input, acting upon their advice, and working with them are all part of being in a relationship. As a pair, you have to work together to take on the world in your own unique way, and this can only be achieved if you’re both happy. If you’re constantly undermining your loved one, they will feel upset and likely want to get away from you. To avoid this, you have to view your relationship as a team, especially if you want your partner to feel valued. If you are having trouble with figuring out just how to do that, you should consider marriage counseling as a way to help you both move towards that sweet harmony.

The Things To Change

You’ve probably heard of the idea that no one is perfect, and understand that this applies to yourself, as well. In a relationship, the little parts of your personality which other people might not like will show the most, thanks to the time you spend with your loved one. Part of a strong bond is ignoring these traits, and this won’t be too hard. But, in some cases, there could be something which makes life very hard. Below, you can find some examples of these sorts of attributes.

• Controlling: One of the hardest parts of living with someone with a controlling personality is that they don’t know that they are likely to act in this way. If you’re struggling for control, it may feel as though you’re doing the right thing, but this can make your partner’s life very hard. To avoid this, you should identify the issue early, and work hard to avoid letting your loved one experience the impact.
• Self-Centered: It can often be very hard not to see yourself as the centre of the universe. All of your actions impact you the most, so it makes sense to think of yourself first. Of course, though, in a relationship, your partner is much more important than you. Acting like you only care about yourself can make someone very unhappy with the bond you have together.

Being with someone else comes with loads of different responsibilities which have to be kept in order. You have to work hard to make sure that they are kept happy, and this will take more than just acting nice. Along with this, you may have to change the parts of who you are, making it very difficult for a lot of people to do it. Of course, though, when you’re passionate about someone, you have to work towards what you want. The person you are with has their own emotions which will need to be kept in order.