Have you seen all those self-care articles out there? The ones that say take time for yourself, meditate, exercise, etc…great! Keep reading and implementing that advice because staying connected to YOU is a really important piece to keeping a healthy partnership.
AND unsurprisingly, you also need to look for ways to give your partnership a little (or a lot) LOVING-CARE. There are many ways to do this.
Here are 4 of my favorites:
- Set up date nights. As life starts happening, it is important to schedule in the time to re-discover each other, talk about dreams, fun projects, new ideas, etc. and be sure to leave all the daily life talk for a different time. Do your best to refrain from bringing up finances, kids, work etc., when you are on a date.
- Have a weekly meeting to talk about daily life things and any issues that might be building up. This is where you can talk about finances, work, and any issue that you might still be holding on to. If you know that you will have this time set out, it’s much easier to not make everything into an issue all the time. You’ll uncover what areas need some TLC and make sure you aren’t sweeping tensions under the rug.
- Allow each other the space to grow and change. Know that we will constantly flow in and out of sync with our partners, so allowing each other that space is essential. Otherwise, you can find yourself in a pursuer-escaper dynamic. Use the self-care tactics to embrace the fact that we are all constantly changing.
- Create couples rituals. Do something regularly that bonds you and is something you both can look forward to. For example, enjoy your morning coffee together, take the dogs for a walk in the evening, how you say goodbye & hello each day, etc.
As the saying goes, “Good things take time.” By investing time and effort in yourself and your relationship, you’ll reap the positive results that come with a little TLC. Start by choosing one of the above ideas and try implementing it this week. I think you’ll be happily surprised!
(Read more on staying true to you and self-care here.)
Have you tried any of the above ideas? Any other ideas that work for you and your partner that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!