Most people believe that if a relationship is healthy that everything is easy. The truth is, no matter how good things are going, the best marriages share three things in common:
First, partners in healthy relationships aren’t afraid to share their lives, thoughts, and feelings with one another. This allows them to connect on a deeper level and build trust.
Second, healthy couples know what real love is. It’s deeper than passing puppy love. It’s not simple infatuation. It’s a real display of respect, support, and emotional intimacy.
Finally, those in happy relationships care for one another throughout good times and bad.
If you want success in your marriage, you need to learn how to let go and open yourself to your partner completely. Taking an online marriage course can help you and your spouse to learn actionable steps for building a healthy relationship, at your own pace.
Here are three simple secrets that will help you build a healthy loving relationship.
1. Love Conquers All
Showing your partner love means showing them loyalty and devotion. It encompasses your desire to put all of your heart, soul, and energy into making the relationship work, even when times get tough.
Show Your Support
Being supportive is part of showing love to your spouse. No matter what they’re going through, they know that you’re there for them to talk to and lean on in times of distress.
Be Forgiving
Part of loving your partner is forgiving them when they are genuinely sorry. This isn’t a weakness but strength. Forgiveness is a virtue.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
You can’t have love in a relationship where there isn’t respect. In order to express real love for your spouse, you must be willing to respect their boundaries and beliefs, even if you don’t always agree.
Love, Sex, and Everything in Between
Of course, you can’t talk love without mention of the bedroom.
Sex has been shown to heighten emotional intimacy and reduce stress, physical intimacy does not have to include intercourse in order to have a positive effect on a relationship.
Research shows that physical affection is strongly related to how satisfied a partner is. The more physically affectionate couples are, the happier they will be. Receiving a loving caress, a massage, cuddle, handhold, hug, or kiss on the lips or face have all been shown to improve relationship satisfaction.
2. Showing Your Partner You Care
Caring about your partner is essential to the success of a healthy relationship. Much of caring for your spouse means doing little things like:
Send them a sweet text
Run their errands for them
Express your appreciation for all they do for you
Say I love you
Write a sweet letter for them
Make their favorite dinner
Say please and thank you
Hug each other just to express your affection
Care for your spouse when they are sick
These are all small and sweet ways that you can show your partner that you care for them.
Communication is a huge part of showing your partner you care. Instead of letting a problem fester without saying anything or let an argument get out of hand, you choose to calmly communicate your feelings to one another.
You do not use a disagreement as an excuse to verbally attack your partner or insult their character.
This is a mature and respectful way of resolving conflicts.
Part of communicating and caring involves listening to your spouse. Understanding their point of view, even if you don’t agree, is beneficial at multiple levels.
First, it will help you have empathy for your partner and see things from a different perspective. This will deepen emotional intimacy in relationships.
Second, an understanding spirit will put your spouse at ease and calm down a defensive attitude.
3. Sharing Everything
Everything, you may ask? Yes, everything.
Sharing is caring. This principle is true for life and healthy relationships.
When you marry your spouse, you merge your lives. Being able to share your lives together will be integral to your success.
Whether you buy a marital home together or invite your spouse to move in, you will be sharing space with your partner. To some, getting to see your partner every waking moment sounds like a dream come true. For those who enjoy their alone time, it may take some adjusting.
Research shows that millennials are more likely to discuss money with their partner than past generations. This is wonderful since you’ll be sharing it now that you live together.
Having a shared bank account means deciding on a budget and staying on the same page about money coming in and out. Even if you don’t open a mutual account, you will both still be contributing to the household and splitting finances in a way that is fair and responsible.
Sharing your life with your spouse is the most important aspect of all. Studies show that couples who share friendships report higher relationship satisfaction. Letting your partner in is the key to emotional intimacy in relationships. You aren’t afraid to share your thoughts, feelings of friendships.
Sharing your time is one of the most important tips of all. After a busy work week, all some of us want to do is come home and relax in front of the television. But in order to maintain happy, healthy relationships, couples need to spend intentional quality time together.
Quality time means your spouse gets your undivided attention. Don’t let your partner be one of the 46.3% of adults who feel snubbed by their spouse for checking their phone.
Spending quality time together will help boost communication and strengthen the marital friendship.
Physical and emotional intimacy in relationships plays a huge role in whether our marriages are successful. Couples must show love and support one other. They must communicate and listen. Finally, they should strive to share their lives fully with one another. Only by doing these things will they be rewarded with healthy relationships.
Author Bio: Rachael Pace is a noted writer currently associated with Marriage.com. She provides inspiration, support, and empowerment in the form of her motivational articles and essays. Rachael enjoys studying about today’s evolving forms of loving partnerships and is passionate about writing on all types of romantic connections. She believes that everyone should make room for love in their lives and encourages couples to work on overcoming their challenges together.
