It’s no secret that creating healthy relationships takes effort. It doesn’t have to be difficult though! Whether friends, family, lovers, or co-workers, any relationship can benefit from these easy tune-up techniques.
1. Express Appreciation
Sometimes revitalizing a relationship is as easy as switching your viewpoint. Instead of fault-finding, seek out things to appreciate. Ask yourself what you can learn from this person. Perhaps your partner is an amazing cook, or maybe your boss is highly organized. Focus on these positive qualities, and express your appreciation of them. A little admiration or even a simple “thank you” goes a long way and lets the people in your life know that they matter. Change your perspective and transform your relationship.
2. Create Shared Goals
Working towards something together can bring you closer together. The goal could be centered on your relationships, or it could be something external. If you and a friend both have fitness goals, consider working out together and offering each other support in the form of acknowledgment and accountability. Some couples have shared goals such as purchasing a home or taking a vacation. When you work towards them together, you can enjoy a shared sense of purpose, which is only strengthened once that goal is met. You relationship – be it family, friendship, or romantic relationship – will be transformed into a purposeful partnership.
3. Do Something Different
Put the thrill back in your relationship by doing something out of the ordinary. It could be as simple as experiencing an exotic cuisine you’ve never shared or visiting a museum together that you have yet to explore. If you live together and one person usually does the cooking, switch it up and take turns in the kitchen. Ask yourself what the other person might like to do or experience, then make it happen. Adding a sense of newness to any relationship can transform it from “ho-hum” to “oh yeah!”