Have you ever seen a couple who had been together for 30 or 40 years and wondered what their secret was? 

Listen, there’s actually no such thing as a ‘blissful’ Relationship. They take work and there will be many trials along the road if you’re together with someone long term. 

However, you can do things to make your relationships function better so both of you can be happier. Put these five secrets to blissful relationships into practice and you’ll amaze yourself at how much simpler it is to have a great relationships.

1. Clear Expectations 

Clear expectations are the foundation of trust, compassion, and understanding. You hear a lot of talk about trust these days, but finding a person you can trust to be in a close relationship with you is difficult. 

Contrary to common belief, dishonesty is less often the cause of mistrust than unclear expectations. 

If you and your Partner are unclear about what the expectations of the relationship are (for both sides), you’re left with only assumptions ... and assumptions almost always lead to disappointments. We perceive them as violations of trust. 

2. Great Sex 

Maybe people don’t talk about this one much, but the human body is biologically wired for sexual bliss ... and that will not change. 

While great sex isn’t a principle on which you can build an entire relationship, it adds a delightful dimension that few couples ever get to find. 

What’s the secret to having a great sex life? Foremost is open and honest communication about what each person wants. 

Biologically, sex works out pretty well and without a lot of extra effort because we’re wired that way. But making it great requires clear communication and reciprocity. And speaking of reciprocity ... 

3. Reciprocity 

There is no such thing as something for nothing, and this will apply to pretty much every area of life: your financial life, your relationships, your health, your career and your emotional wellbeing. 

If one partner is giving too much, and the other is taking too much, the relationship is always on its way downhill. 

However, if you focus on meeting your partner’s needs according to his or her expectations (instead of your own), your partner will be much more likely to reciprocate. 

Again, this is one reason clear expectations are so important. 

Many people try to practise reciprocity, but instead of giving their partner what they need, they give based on what they ASSUME they need. 

Reciprocity requires clear expectations to make a relationship blissful. 

4. Playfulness 

Life is too short to be in a relationship where you can’t have fun and be a little playful with your partner. 

One of the greatest joys in adult experience is to act a little childlike, and you need someone in your life who will share this experience with you. 

Of course, there are many senses of humour. 

It’s important to find someone who thinks how you do and who finds humour in the same things. 

5. Perpetual Courtship 

Too many couples start off well by working hard to please each other during the courting stage of the relationship, only to slack off once the “new” wears off. 

Make a commitment to court your partner every day of your relationship, even if you’ve been together for decades. 

This will inspire reciprocity and, together with the above four principles, will help you build a blissful relationship.

Is negativity hindering your relationship? 

Do you sometimes treat your spouse in a way that you know isn’t right? Or do you ever think “No one will ever marry me or want to be with me”? 

You could be a victim of negative thoughts, and they are not all inside your head! 

Negative thoughts are ALL AROUND US: in the media, at the workplace, in our home, as well as sometimes in our own heads.