The global pandemic, massive lifestyle changes, changes in employment, and many more unconventional situations in recent times have people reporting symptoms of stress and depression at higher levels than ever. For many people, the stress of living in modern times is even impacting their relationships.
If you and your partner have been struggling in your relationship, you’re far from alone.
The great news is that there are ways you can work to improve your relationship that can be as simple as giving your partner a great gift to making a conscious effort to reach out for help. For big and small ways you and your sweetheart can improve your relationship, read on.
Reaching Out to a Couples Therapist
To help your relationship in a big way, start by reaching out to the professionals. A Google search for relationship counseling near me to find a fantastic group like the Baltimore Therapy Group could be the best thing you and your partner do for your relationship. Couples therapists and licensed marriage and family therapists can use a number of therapeutic modalities to help you and your partner work through big and small issues alike. These trained professionals can give you the resources you need to improve your communication skills, intimacy, and relationships with extended family.
Not only can trained professionals teach you how to better communicate with your partner, but they can suggest community resources that might help your relationship as well. By attending couples therapy together, you and your partner will be sending each other the clear message that your relationship is a priority and that you both want things to get better.
Small Gifts of Appreciation
While going to couples therapy together is a great way to improve patterns and your communication styles, little gestures can go a long way, too. Consider looking up gift plants online and buying your partner a favorite plant. Include a note or card that explains how your gift could even be symbolic; that you hope your relationship will bloom. The truth is that there’s a great metaphor between a living plant and any human relationship. If you work together to take care of it, nourish it, and give it the space it needs to grow, your plant will have a fantastic chance of being fruitful.
Other small gifts could be gift cards to favorite restaurants for date nights, a favorite movie or book, or even a playlist to make your partner’s commute all the more pleasant. Simple gestures like these add up to reciprocation and both partners’ feelings seen.
Quality Time and the Shared Dream
If you see a therapist for your relationship, they’ll go over the importance of mental wellness for both individuals in the relationship. During the initial sessions, they’ll encourage you and your partner to make plans, both together and on your own. By spending time apart and together, you’ll be bound to have a better relationship.
In fact, being the best version of yourself is one of the best ways you can improve your relationship. Instead of focusing only on the moments that you spend together, make sure to give your individual needs the same priority in your relationship. When two healthy people come together, it only improves the bigger picture.
At the end of the day, whether you and your partner see a couples’ counselor with years of experience in the Gottman Method to work on the shared dream or you make a new habit of helping your partner to feel appreciated through small gestures and gifts, you’ll experience an improvement in your relationship issues if you make the effort. Start with taking an honest look at your relationship issues and having a conversation with your partner about their wants and needs. Together, you can work to build a better future with more hope and compassion, as well as better intimacy.
