Living in Love: How to Nurture Caring and Respectful Relationships

While all relationships have their ups and downs, recognizing the value of the people you care for can help you maintain strong, healthy bonds. If you and your partner are struggling, don’t lose hope, and consider bringing in a professional to help you navigate these rough waters. Counselor and coach Shasta Hickman can help you remember the things that brought you together initially and teach you how to find effective new ways to improve your partnership. In addition, consider the following guidance to help you repair and improve your relationship.

Remember Your Affection

If you’ve been together for some time, the realities of everyday life can sometimes feel like they take priority over nurturing your relationship. According to Good Housekeeping, between work, kids, finances, and personal struggles, distance can develop between you and your partner without you even realizing it. To ensure this doesn’t happen, or to reverse course if this is the path you’re already on, communication is critical. Make an effort to write down what you cherish most about your partner, and go back to those notes when issues arise. Perhaps you appreciate their unconditional support, handling little household tasks, or being a good listener. Sharing what you’ve written and letting the other person know what you love about them can bring you closer.

Fight Fair

All couples argue, but the trick to ensuring you do this in a healthy way is to make an agreement to fight fair. This means no name-calling or digging up past issues; instead, commit to remaining calm and focused while you work through disagreements. Make an effort to focus on the problem, not the person. If you find the same topics are regularly creating disputes and discord, consider employing the help of a licensed counselor Shasta Hickman to help you get to the root of the problems and develop effective strategies for dealing with them. At the end of the day, the goal should be to have a loving and respectful relationship with your partner, regardless of your differences.

Make Time for Each Other

When you have a “to-do” list that’s a mile long, things like self-care and nurturing intimate relationships can feel like a luxury rather than a necessity. However, according to Psychology Today, scheduling time for your partner and making them feel like a priority is a lovely way to demonstrate you see that person as someone deserving of your time and attention. Consider making a list of things you can do together, both large and small, and choose from them on a daily basis. It may be as little as 10 minutes in the morning over a cup of coffee, where you’re focused only on each other, or planning an elaborate vacation to another country, and everything in-between. If you have a number of things to choose from that are both time and finance-sensitive, you’ll never be able to make the excuse of, “there just isn’t enough time.”

Give Yourselves a ‘Reset’

Many couples disagree over common everyday household chores and activities. If you haven’t already created a chore chart in which each of you is able to take on the things you like or dislike the least in an equitable fashion, it’s time to make one. You should also come together as a team and take care of any lingering household projects, including cleaning from top to bottom and getting rid of negative energy. This is a good relational reset and literally gives you a fresh starting spot from which to grow. Studies show your surroundings can have a real impact on your sense of mental and emotional well-being, and getting your actual house in order will help you get your relationship house in order as well.

Creating a fulfilling relationship requires a commitment from all parties to find ways to treat one another with kindness and respect. Long-term success is created when your partner is a priority, and you both make daily efforts to nurture that bond.

If you’re struggling with an interpersonal relationship and want to learn how to overcome troubling issues, reach out to counselor and coach Shasta Hickman. 

shasta@hickmancounseling.com | (971) 303-9868

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