Today, on the Internet; over friendly drinks or in group discussions; everyone wants to know how and what to do that would improve their relationship. 

Here are some tips I think will come in handy when your relationship is in need of a boost:
1. Listen:
It might sound obvious, but when you really allow yourself to listen—and ask questions about—what your partner says, it not only leads to better conversations, but also better communication.

2. Take a few days apart:
Missing each other is a great way to reconnect. Try grabbing some friends for the weekend and stay away from the other for a while.

3. Put away your phones:
One of the biggest relationship tips is to give your undivided attention when your partner is speaking. It’s is one of the most important things you can do.

4. Volunteer together:
Giving back is a great way to keep perspective of how great your relationship is, and how lucky you both are.

5. Create a todo list together:
Jot down new and fun things you want to accomplish for a day as a duo.
6. Talk to couples over 65 years old:
Get relationship tips from them, and see what you can take away to apply to your own relationship.

7. Stop and appreciate all that your relationship is this very second:
Stop living for what it can be.  This person is choosing to be in your life every day, not every day in the future.

8. Revisit the questions you asked in the beginning:
What are you hoping to accomplish in the next year? What are you scared of? These answers change, so we need to keep asking these questions.

9. Find things you really love about them and tell them:
This will go a long way to boost the other person's confidence.

10. Stop nagging:
Seriously, stop. Take a step back and figure out the big things about your partner that truly bother you, and approach them from a place of concern and support instead of nagging. It will get you nowhere.

11. Admit you are wrong:
Learning to say “I was wrong” is a skill worth learning.

12. Take care of yourself:
No relationship can be successful if you don’t feel good about yourself, both inside and out.

13. Know what you need and then ask for it:
You’re dating a human, not a magical psychic.

14. Take a class together:
It’s proven that couples who learn together connect deeper. Find some common ground (cooking? art? science?) and go from there.

15. Stop complicating things that aren’t complicated:
If you bemoan the fact that your relationship is going too well, you might need to revisit why you’re constantly seeking out drama.

16. Write notes:
Whether you have study hall together or live together, handwritten notes are personal touches in today’s highly digital world.

17. Pitch in:
Help each other with chores and other necessary things. Not doing them if you live together can create tension, and always doing them can create unfair expectations. Act as team of equals.

18. Disconnect online:
Step away from the laptop during quality time. Everything on the Internet will still be there later but your partner may not always be there for quality time.

19. Allow things to be what they are:
Sometimes bad days and bad moods happen. Don’t go crazy trying to make everything better. Just be supportive and loving, because just being there at the end of a bad day can make it better for both of you.

20. Create mini-traditions:
Creating small rituals can really help hold up a couple because they become “your thing.” Whether it’s a fancy night out during the holiday season, or watching a certain


For now I will leave the rest for the next post.
Meanwhile, just enjoy your relationship while it last.