Part of life’s joys is to create a lasting relationship that fulfills your heart and spirit. However, mutual relationship rules will provide the perimeters that will keep it healthy and happy. Here are fifteen relationship rules that you and your love might want to consider.
Never Ignore These Fifteen Relationship Rules
1. Be Genuine
In the beginning, the first thing that attracted you to one another was who you were. So, why would either of you want to be somebody else? For a relationship to thrive, you’ve got to be genuine and honest. Don’t try to put on airs or keep your feelings boxed away in your mind.
2. Listen to Each Other
One of the beautiful parts of being a couple is that you can share anything without fear of being judged or belittled. You may hear what your lover is saying, but are you truly listening? With all the commotion and stress of everyday life, it’s easy to get caught up in work, email, phone calls, and errands.
Make it a point to reconnect after school or work and listen to each other. Turn off the tv, cell phone, and other distractions and pay attention to your sweetheart. Follow the habits of good listeners, like maintaining a receptive posture, mirroring emotion, and restating what you’ve heard.
3. Cheaters Never Win
When you are in a committed relationship, you expect that two is company, and three is a crowd. Unless your relationship is casual and you’ve agreed that you can both see other people, cheating mustn’t be tolerated. It just leads to a life of jealousy, mistrust, and bitterness.
Be sure that you’re on the same page for your definition of cheating. There shouldn’t be any secret texting, phone calls, or meetings. Even if sex isn’t involved, sneaking around with the opposite sex is still cheating in your relationship rules.
4. Don’t Lose Your Individuality
A couple may be one in heart and spirit, but you remain individuals. Sometimes, you may feel like you’ve lost yourself in a relationship and need to focus on your own needs. Only when you can love yourself can you love your partner the way you should.
It’s okay to have your hobbies and interests or to enjoy some time in solitude. Respecting each other’s individuality gives you more to share and cultivates appreciation for the other’s talents and personality. Spend time with friends and family and allow yourself to grow mentally and spiritually.
5. Learn How Each Other Shows Affection
While genetics may have a minor role, you learned how to show affection by mirroring your parents and family. Some families use hugs, kisses, and are verbal about their love for one another. However, other families may be more stoic and usually show affection by doing kind things or giving gifts.
Do you know your partner’s love language? Usually, women are more in touch with their emotions and aren’t afraid to express their affection with words and a gentle touch. Society trains men from the cradle up to be more reserved with their feelings, so they often will demonstrate their affection through their actions.
Be intuitive with each other’s love language, and you should realize that you probably show affection differently. It’s not a character flaw, and it doesn’t demean the sense of love and devotion. If you want your guy to say “I love you” more often, just tell him what you want.
6. Be Allies
As lovers and partners for life, you must be each other’s best friend and ally. That doesn’t mean that you disregard your loving family and friends. It means that your person is at the top of your list, and you’ve got his back.
If you have friends and family who don’t approve of your relationship, it’s their problem. Gently but firmly let those naysayers know that if they can’t be supportive and civil, then you’ll part ways until they can. If you allow yourself to be on the wrong side, you’ll lose all trust and respect from your mate.
Be a cheerleader and encourage your sweetheart in his projects or dreams. Even if they don’t pan out, he will remember that you were beside him the whole way, and he’ll love you for it. Being an ally doesn’t mean you always agree, but it means that you are still supportive.
7. Appreciate Each Other
In a long-term relationship, it’s easy to get lost in routine and take each other for granted. One of the basic needs of humans is to be appreciated. Sometimes, sweet daily gestures may become routine, and you forget to thank each other for being thoughtful.
Make it part of your relationship rules to say how much you appreciate one another every day. Not just for loving gestures, but who you are as people. When you show gratitude and appreciation, your love can last.
8. Create New Routines and Traditions
Another wonderful benefit of being in a loving relationship is that you both script your book of love. Do you have cherished childhood memories of holidays and other family traditions? Share each other’s memories and see how they can be interwoven into your life as a couple.
Also, why not create some traditions and routines of your own? Whether it’s for holidays, special occasions, or even choosing a favorite restaurant, bring your personality to the table. They will make lasting memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
9. Be Willing to Compromise
Since you and your person are still individuals, you won’t always agree on everything. If there’s never any difference of opinion or a bit of opposition, then one of you isn’t being genuine. The key to a thriving relationship is to know when to compromise.
First, choose your battles wisely. Don’t create a big fight because you want to go to the ocean for vacation, and she has her heart set on Las Vegas. For your relationship rules, both of you should be willing to give and take a little and come to an agreement.
10. Romance Without Finance isn’t Happening
No, money can’t buy love, but it sure makes life easier. If you’re in a committed relationship with shared finances, you’ve got to work together. Discuss your finances and agree on a budget that will pay the bills, provide savings, and have a little money for incidentals.
Perhaps one of the biggest relationship destroyers is financial problems. Just as you’re committed to each other, you must also be committed to keeping a budget that will sustain your livelihood. Be accountable to each other for spending and consider weekly discussions about the current state of your finances.
11. Be Patient
In our drive-through society, people want immediate results and satisfaction. True relationships aren’t instant and rarely come as ordered. It takes compassion and patience to learn each other’s habits and to work together to resolve conflicts.
Patience is an integral part of relationship rules. Be patient with him and be patient with yourself. Remember that good things come to those who wait.
12. Don’t Try to Change Each Other
A common mistake many people make in forming a relationship is the hope to change the other person. Yes, love and relationship do bring change and make you a better person. However, you must love each other for who you are, not who you think the other should be.
When you try to mold your personality into a cookie cutter of expectations, you’ll just create resentment and an unsettled atmosphere. This blunder can be traumatic if you stay with a toxic person with the idea that you will change things. Love each other without reservation or manipulation, but you should be strong enough to walk away from a toxic or abusive relationship.
13. Keep the Fire Burning
Does your relationship seem stale and boring? Like a flower garden, a relationship must be cultivated and carefully tended to for it to flourish. Be spontaneous and go on surprise dates or getaways. Bring your sweetheart a heartfelt gift or do something special just because you love him.
14. Don’t Hold Grudges
Somebody once remarked that nursing a grudge is akin to drinking poison thinking it will hurt another person. In your journey of love with your partner, there will be many offenses given and taken. Love means that not only can you apologize, but you can offer forgiveness and continue along your way.
Grudges are deadly toxins for any relationship, and nobody wins, especially not the grudge holder. Forgiving doesn’t negate or excuse the offense, but it frees your mind to cope and mend your relationship. Many couples say that part of their relationship rules is that they never go to bed angry at each other.
15. Keep Open Communication
Be your partner’s ear and shoulder for comfort. Agree from the start that no subject is too great or insignificant that you can’t discuss. To keep conflicts at bay, talk about your schedules and other commitments daily. Always be free to listen to what your person has to say and to voice your feelings to him or her, so there’s no confusion or misunderstandings.
Final Thoughts: Follow These Relationship Rules to Foster Long-term Romance and Respect
Lastly, infatuation is a feeling, but love is a choice, and it takes work. To keep your relationship strong in the long run, establish relationship rules together, and be sure to stick with them. Healthy boundaries equal a healthy relationship that will be meaningful for you both.
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