Relationships are supposed to be fun, happy, and fulfilling, but it’s surprising how hard it is to tick all of those boxes sometimes. Trials and tribulations arise and past baggage can cause your fears to always be a heartbeat away. However, learning how to be happy in a relationship is something that’s more than worth doing. After all, if you can’t be happy in your relationship, how else are you going to be happy?
If you’re always focused on the negatives, your relationship is going to be a minefield of stress from the start. For sure, relationships make you vulnerable and that can be hard to deal with, but it’s worth it in the end. The good news is, if you’re struggling with the happiness factor in your relationship, these tips will help you to bring a little sunshine into your union.
# Communicate and understand each otherRemember those first few weeks when both of you were dating each other?
Can you remember all those incessant rounds of questions both of you asked each other to find out about your likes and dislikes? Don’t stop asking those questions.
You may be in love with each other for several years, but as individuals, both of you are constantly changing all the time.
Learn to communicate and ask each other all those first date questions now and then, and try to have an active interest in each other’s lives and pursuits. It’ll help both of you understand each other better and bring both of you closer.
Always remember this. Misunderstandings in love don’t happen when you mishear each other. They happen most when you stop communicating with each other.
# End every argument as soon as possible
If you want to use these steps to change your life, both of you have to be aware of what it takes to be happy in a relationship. And, both of you have to work towards it. It just can’t be a one-sided effort.
Confusions and petty arguments are at times inevitable even in the happiest of relationships. And it’s fine to have a strong opinion once in a while. But no matter what the little disagreement is about or however angry or upset either of you are, makeup as soon as you can.
And that means no wasting time on huffing, puffing or whining. You may be really angry, but learn to hold your partner’s hand and say “hey, I’m sorry we had a fight. Can we forget about it/talk about it some other time?”
What would work even better is a warm hug after a disagreement. Always understand that no matter what the differences are, both of you are in love with each other. So whatever the issue, end it soon or talk about it when the tension isn’t so thick. That doesn’t mean you side-step real issues that need to be addressed, it just means you don’t linger in the middle of a pointless argument.
# Be willing to apologize
t times, you may just not want to apologize. You may be convinced that it’s not your fault and you don’t see any reason in humiliating yourself by offering an apology.
But that’s where you’re wrong.
What are you trying to prove after a fight? That you’re right and your partner is wrong? Why? Why do you have to show off that you’re right? Does it even matter who’s wrong or right when your lover is sad and upset?
In a relationship, there are no winners or losers. There are just happy couples or unhappy ones. If you want to know how to be happy in a relationship, learn to swallow your pride and apologize even if it’s not your fault. It’s for the sake of your relationship. Egos destroy relationships and both partners have to learn to apologize when they’re in the wrong.
Get rid of the ego and you’ll see how successful and happy your relationship can be.
# Learn to forgive
To err is human… and you know the rest of that quote. All of us make mistakes. In a happy relationship, both partners must learn to forgive each other and not hold on to mistakes and pettiness.
It may be a small mistake or even a huge one, but if you are willing to give your relationship a chance, learn to forgive, forget and move on. Unless, of course, your partner repeats the same act again, which would only mean your partner doesn’t love you or respect you enough to care about your feelings.
Unless it’s adultery or something just as heartbreaking, voice your opinion and forgive your partner. Holding grudges has never helped any relationship, and it never will.
# Respect each other as individualsYou may truly love each other, but that doesn’t complete the recipe for a happy relationship. Do you respect your partner and trust them in your time of need?
Respecting each other is important for success and happiness in any relationship. You may think your girlfriend is a hottie or you may know that your man’s a brawny hunk. But unless you respect them for their intellectuality and their personality, they’re nothing but your arm candy.
When you respect your lover, it shows that you trust them and can look to them for advice and help when it comes to making important decisions. The mutual respect you share will bring more confidence and happiness into your relationship.
# Look good in each other’s arms
The secret to knowing how to be happy in a relationship isn’t just about each other’s intellectual strength and the ability to compromise for the good of the relationship. Sometimes, happiness and fun in love come from the desire you have for one another.
Does your partner sexually excite you? Do you still excite your partner? Or have either of you let yourselves go, or started dressing down and forgotten to clean yourselves up because it just doesn’t matter anymore?