A successful romantic relationship won’t always be one hundred percent happy. You won’t constantly want to be with one another (nor should you need to be with one another). There will be plenty of ups and downs. However, a successful romantic relationship is one that will weather those ups and downs no matter what.
Trust is one of the most important elements in any relationship. Without it, it’s hard to maintain a desire to be together, and it is often why relationships fail. When you trust and are trusted, you can really be yourself and let down any barriers that you might have put up. Trust brings people together, but it takes a lot of effort from both sides of the relationship in order for it to work. Here are some of the ways that you can make a successful romantic relationship work.
The Relationship Comes First
When you are in a relationship, it needs to be the priority if you want to ensure that it is going to last for the duration. Think of ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ and that trusting bond will more easily be formed. It is important that both partners think in the same way, of course, otherwise you will have a relationship that is tilted too much in favor of one of the couple, and that can make things much more difficult.
You don’t need to (and shouldn’t have to) give up the things that you like doing and do the things that your partner wants to do instead. Making the relationship come first just means taking the other person’s thoughts and opinions into account before many any decisions.
Be Yourself
It can be scary to show your true self to someone. You might worry that they won’t like you anymore, or that they will think you’re strange. Yet if they love you, this won’t happen. Being able to show someone your true self is all about trust and when you are made to feel safe and secure in a relationship, this is something that you should definitely do. Dropping your mask will let your partner know how much you trust them, and this will cement your relationship. No one is perfect, and that goes for your partner as well. You’re both human and doing your best. It is best to share with them any concerns you might have, and be open and honest, no matter what has gone before.
Be There No Matter What
Working through an issue together might make it that much easier. Whether it be something as simple as a budgeting problem, or something more pressing, such as addiction, looking out for each other will go a long way. If you yourself are struggling with substance addiction, a good place to start is drug rehab. The first stage of acceptance, however, is talking. If you are open to talking to one another, any issue you may be facing can seem a little less daunting. This is also the way forward in terms of you being there for your partner. If they want to tell you something, listen.
Tell Each Other What You Need
Everyone wants something; everyone needs something, everyone has fears and worries. If you want your relationship to be strong and last forever, you need to be able to tell each other what those things are. Don’t be afraid to let your partner know what will make you happy, or what you are planning for the future. Equally, you must let them know if there is something you don’t like in life so that you can be as happy as possible.
Open communication about these hopes and fears needs to be done in a respectful and clear way. Don’t assume that your partner is going to automatically know what you want (or don’t want); they won’t be able to guess and they shouldn’t have to. You both need to feel confident enough to agree or disagree with one another too.
Say What You Mean
Words can mean a lot, but they can also do a lot of damage. Choose the words you use carefully and always say what you mean – make things clear so that there are no avoidable misunderstandings. You also need to mean what you say because if you speak just to hear your own voice, or just to bring someone down because you are in a bad mood or you want them to be angry or upset, you are destroying your relationship. Verbal abuse is still abuse and is not the basis for a trusting, loving relationship.
Words are the only impactful kind of communication either; pay attention to your body language and your tone of voice. Facial expressions are important too. They all need to match the words that are coming out of your mouth. If you are confused by what your partner is saying because their own expression or body language doesn’t match up with their words, just ask them what they really mean. Open and honest communication is vital in a happy relationship.
Be Friends
If you want to have a successful romantic relationship, then you need to be friends as well as lovers. Friendship takes time to develop, but it is so important. Lack of friendship can be the end of a relationship because people need an emotional connection as well as a physical one. Emotional adultery is just as serious as physical adultery, and can easily happen if people need to find that connection elsewhere.
Work Through Challenges
Every relationship will have challenges to it. There will be hard times just as there are good times. Running away from these hard times and challenges might be the easy option, but it won’t help your relationship – it will more than likely destroy it entirely. Instead, you should be ready (emotionally, mentally, and even physically) to embrace the challenges that come your way and to see them as the next stage in your relationship. You will learn a lot this way and may even become stronger as a couple because of it.
Be Trustworthy
If you want to be thought of as trustworthy, you need to be trustworthy. Make sure you are reliable and always follow through on the things you said you would do. Letting your partner down on a regular basis is a bad way to have a relationship. Of course, sometimes things happen, and you can’t do what you said you would be able to. If this is the case then you must ensure that you let your partner know; be up front and honest about the change of plans.