If your relationship made it through the Holidays you should be proud. December is the busiest month for breakups and although many of these couples actually get back together by the end of January – just in time for Valentine’s day. If you want to make sure your relationship lasts longer than a few months – given that spring break brings back the break-ups wave–, you and your partner will have to work hard and make an effort to keep your relationship solid and strong.

Here are a few tips for improving your relationship the upcoming year:

Try to empathize.

When you’re in a relationship of any kind the best thing you can do is listen to the other person. And when you listen to your partner and they listen to you, you must try to genuinely empathize with each other or at least understand each other’s needs. This helps managing expectations and keeping an open and honest communication is the foundation of a strong relationship.

Always work as a team.

Even when the situation gets tough. Remember that you are a couple and that regardless of how good or bad the situation can be, you are supposed to go through it as partners. You both have families and friends but your problems should be discussed and resolved by yourselves as a couple before the interference of any third parties. The more you do this, the more you will realize nobody can work it out better than yourselves.

Have sex regularly.

It’s no secret that the happiest couples have sex rather frequently. There’s a reason for that; sex brings you closer to your partner and helps deepen the connection you both share. This doesn’t mean you must have sex every day but if you don’t share any moments of intimacy and physical connection, chances are your relationship is already broken or on its way to the bitter end.

Create your own anniversaries.

Happy couples usually look for any excuse to celebrate together. From the anniversary of your first kiss to a marathon of the best movies you’ve watched together, creating new moments worth celebrating and remembering will help solidify what you’ve built and help you remember special things only the two of you share.

Save for pleasure.

Saving as a couple is a big step, but saving to pay the bills and keep up with your day-to-day lives is not the same as saving for shared moments of pleasure. Start a bank account or a piggy bank with your partner for your romantic whims. This way you will be able to splurge on sharing experiences together without disturbing your budget for the everyday essentials.

Make up your own codes.

You and your partner are a team, and as such you should have your own private way of communicating with each other. Just like partners in crime, try to create and nurture a basic code that will allow you to communicate anywhere without anyone else noticing. You’ll never know when this might come in handy.

Keep it fun.

Life with humor is always better. Your relationships shouldn’t be any different. In fact, laughing together only strengthens your relationship and that sense of complicity all the best couples have.

Happy couples have many secrets and ways of doing things differently to keep their relationship solid and strong. It’s true, there is no exact formula to have a successful relationship and be a happy couple but it’s up to you and your partner to create your own.

If you need help or guidance to improve your relationships, make an appointment with us calling at 914-793-3388. We offer marriage and couples counseling in Westchester, NY, as well as child therapy.