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Happy relationships rarely happen by accident. They typically require a lot of work and a little luck, especially when it comes to achieving long-term happiness.

Talk to any happily-married or long-term connected couple and they are likely to tell you about the interesting journey they've been on together, which included plenty of ups and downs. 

The key to maximizing your chances of cultivating a healthy relationship with your partner is to understand a few important tips that can make all the difference in the world.

Here we take a look at relationship advice every couple needs to know to spend a happy and healthy life together. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Learn to Appreciate Your Differences

When you first fall in love with your partner, it's often hard to see any flaws. Or at least the flaws tend to be overlooked because of the excitement of budding romance. And yet the more time you spend together, the more your differences will begin to rise to the surface. These can potentially be a source of conflict. 

But it's important to not view your differences as a bad thing. In fact, your differences should be celebrated. After all, you don't want to marry yourself. So learn to appreciate all the aspects that make you stand apart from each other. This will help deepen your relationship.

2. Resist the Impulse to Change Your Partner

There will be things about your partner that bug you. This could create the temptation to try and change them, subtly or otherwise. 

Even if you think you can improve your partner out of love, it's best to back away from those impulses and simply love them for who they are. Keep in mind that your partner is not your project. You can't make small adjustments or tweak things about them that you don't particularly like. When you sense this impulse bubbling up inside, it's a good time to look at what you need to work on inside yourself.

3. Learn to Pick Your Battles

Things won't always be perfectly rosy. You and your partner will experience many conflicts over big things and small things. One of the keys to a happy and healthy long-term relationship is to learn to pick your battles rather than constantly going to war.

For starters, learn to let things go. When your partner starts getting under your skin, just take a deep breath and release the negative energy. And if it continues to bother you, take the time to ask yourself why. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself.

This also helps reduce the potential of small disagreements from escalating into major arguments. You'll quickly discover that learning to let go only briefly affects your pride rather than damaging your relationship. 

4. Master the Art of Communication

Focus on improving your communication skills. After all, many relationship problems stem from miscommunications, including misunderstandings or misinterpretations. 

What's the best way to improve the communication between you and your partner?

Become a better listener.

When you have something pressing to say, it's very difficult to listen to what they are trying to express. And don't simply let them speak, but truly listen to their words and hear the emotion contained within the words. 

Keep in mind that most people aren't born with good listening skills, and unless you learned how to listen from a young age, you'll need to start learning now. Learning to communicate effectively isn't easy and won't happen overnight, and yet it's one of the biggest gifts you can give each other.

5. Show Your Partner Respect In Public

How you and your partner treat each other in public is a pretty clear sign of the condition of your relationship. It will also have a significant impact on how you feel about each other when you're alone.

It might be tempting to complain about your partner when you're around friends. After all, many friends enjoy venting about their relationships in social situations. This can be especially dangerous when people have been drinking. It's easy to get a little bit too relaxed and begin sharing details about your relationship that would be better kept private. 

That's why it's important to speak respectfully about your partner in every type of situation, no matter who you're around. Plus, showing your partner respect in public situations is a form of love that will help make a good relationship even stronger.

6. Spend Time Together

Strong relationships require plenty of time together. This includes quiet time at home, traveling together, venturing out on date nights, and engaging in hobbies together etc.

That's because healthy relationships need emotional intimacy so that you can maintain your connection. Always make time for each other. This is one of the best tips for a happy relationship. 

7. Spend Time Apart

It's also important to live autonomous lives. In other words, you each need interests and friendships apart from each other.

Spending time apart gives you a chance to recharge, connect with friends outside of your relationship, and simply to miss each other so you'll look forward to seeing your partner when you get home.

Conclusion

There's no denying that love is a beautiful thing. But keeping that loving feeling year after year is often more challenging than it looks. Fortunately, this guide on how to create and maintain a happy relationship will help you achieve a fulfilling connection.

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