People often find that efforts start to slip the longer that they’re in a relationship. It’s all too easy to forget to keep putting your best foot forward.
Yet putting in the effort is essential for maintaining your relationship’s health. The partnerships that last are those in which thought and time are invested. So, what are you to do if you want to show your partner just how much they mean to you?
With this question in mind, we’ve written this short article on how to help your partner feel special.
Include Novelty
Many people try to find ways to spice things up after they feel that their relationship has become stale. But you can also find ways to keep the relationship fresh for its own sake.
Whether you’d rather try activities that neither of you have done before or spontaneously embark on a weekend away after quickly checking train times, find a way to introduce some novelty into your relationship.
Deposit Into Their Emotional Bank Account
We’re all too familiar with bank accounts. But what would happen if we applied this concept to relationships, with negative interactions representing withdrawals and positive ones representing deposits? You get the “emotional bank account” – a neat framework for how to build trust in your relationship.
Invest in Their Family
While engaging with your partner’s social network doesn’t seem too important on the surface, it can make a big difference in how you see each other. It’s also a great opportunity to show your partner how much you care, by putting in the effort to get to know their family and even friends.
Learn Your Partner’s Love Language
Different people have different ways of expressing and receiving love. This is the central idea of “The 5 Love Languages”, an influential book first published in 1992 by counsellor Gary Chapman, PhD. He suggests that when partners know what makes each other feel appreciated, they’re better able to cultivate their relationship.
So, ask your partner which of the following they appreciate the most:
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Physical touch
- Acts of service
- Receiving gifts
Of course, it isn’t likely that your partner will appreciate one of these expressions exclusively. Rather, learning your partner’s love language is about understanding the combination that’s right for them – and will itself be a gesture that’s sure to make them feel special.
What’s your favourite way to help your partner feel special? Tell us in the comments below!
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