Family - Relationships

A successful, loving and supportive relationship is fantastic, worth finding, working and fighting for but relationships are not always easy, most go through difficult times and often periods of unhappiness, anger or regret.

It is important that you are compatible, that you enjoy each others company and share not just time but also dreams, values and passion. Communication and how you deal with any problems is what will keep your relationship strong and harmonious.

A successful relationship is often about compromise, not just your own but an understanding that your partner is also compromising and sometimes you just have to choose your battles.

Relationship wobbles can happen at any time but any significant changes will greatly increase the chances of problems. A house move, arrival of a baby, change in school, or children flying the nest, a change in job, redundancy, retirement, illness or death will all test the strength of your relationship.

Something that can initially seem so terribly one sided can often in hind site be the result of joint blame. You must never forget that we all have insecurities and need reassurance, love and attention. The pressures and responsibilities of life can get too much from time to time and the routine of life can seem very dull. It is easy to grow apart and feel you have nothing in common with a long term partner but in reality the grass is not always greener.

Make sure that you have a life outside of the relationship, friends are such an important part of life and it is important to keep a sense of yourself as well as one half of a couple.

It is so important to make time for each other and ultimately look after each other. Put aside the other responsibilities and demands on your time and just spend time together. Try to make each other feel special and think of the two of you as a team.

Go for a walk or cook a nice meal at home, make time for romance, sex is an emotional not just physical activity and a big part of any successful relationship, make time for it as well as giving each other a massage, a big hug or simply a hand squeeze or quick kiss from time to time.

Often when we are in the early throws of a relationship we have a shared dream but once that is achieved we forget the joy of working together to achieve something.

Never loose sight of a dream, however small it might be and work at it together.

For more support check out the following links.

www.relate.org.uk

www.therelationshipgym.com

www.marriagecare.org.uk