{"id":280131,"date":"2016-12-27T07:11:10","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T07:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=280131"},"modified":"2016-12-27T07:11:10","modified_gmt":"2016-12-27T07:11:10","slug":"ten-habits-of-people-in-the-happiest-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/12\/ten-habits-of-people-in-the-happiest-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten habits of people in the happiest relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Happy relationships don\u2019t happen by accident. It takes two emotionally healthy, loving people who are committed to being the best partners they can be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We recently asked relationship experts to tell us how the happiest couples they\u2019ve worked with stay happy and keep their connection strong along the way. Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n

1. They always kiss their spouse hello and goodbye.<\/h4>\n

\u201cFar from being a meaningless habit, this ensures that you connect, even for just a moment, at least twice a day. Many people in unhappy relationships say that they can\u2019t recall when they stopped kissing at greetings and goodbyes, it just slips away without effort. When you make the time to make eye contact with your partner and kiss them, it shows that you prioritize your relationship even during the busiest of mornings or evenings.\u201d \u2015 Dr. Samantha Rodman,\u00a0psychologist and dating coach<\/p>\n

2. They are generous with compliments.<\/h4>\n

\u201cEveryone needs compliments and they especially need them from their partner. You cannot give too many sincere compliments \u2015 whether you have been together 5 years or 50. It can be simple things like saying, \u2018You look especially gorgeous today\u2019 to deeply felt statements like \u2018I was so proud of you today when you gave our son such wise advice.\u2019\u201d\u2015 Pepper Schwartz,\u00a0professor of sociology and certified sexologist<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0They disagree at times, but they fight fair.<\/h4>\n

\u201cIf partners don\u2019t disagree now and then they\u2019re either not being honest or aren\u2019t human. Disagreeing isn\u2019t a marriage problem \u2015 it\u2019s normal. It\u2019s how couples work through their disagreements (or rather don\u2019t) that can become bad for their marriage.\u00a0<\/strong>Disagreements are opportunities to practice conflict resolution and build communication skills. Take a look at your disagreements and see what bad habits each partner has when you disagree. Do you talk over each other? Get angry? Yell? Swear? Name call? Disengage? Each partner should make a list of their bad tendencies and use future disagreements to practice responding differently and building better communication skills.\u201d \u2015 Kurt Smith,\u00a0therapist who specializes in counseling for men<\/p>\n

4. They focus on the things they like about their partner, rather than the things they don\u2019t.<\/h4>\n

\u201cThis positive perspective, which is a trend among the happiest couples in decades of research by The Gottman Institute, is something that increases warmth, friendship and feeling generally liked by their partner. This does not mean that they let their standards for the relationship go out the window. But when these couples are met with perpetual problems, even then they find the humor in their differences and work to find temporary compromises that enable them to continue appreciating their partner for who they are.\u201d \u2015 Kari Carroll,\u00a0couples therapist<\/p>\n

5. They engage in a little PDA.<\/h4>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sappy and it grosses out the kids, but it works. The happiest couples aren\u2019t afraid to show affection to each other \u2013 even in public. So, go ahead and hold your spouse\u2019s hand when you\u2019re shopping in the mall or snuggle up to them when you\u2019re at the movies with your friends. A little PDA can go a long way.\u201d \u2015 Aaron Anderson,\u00a0marriage and family therapist<\/p>\n

6. They don\u2019t expect their partner to read their mind; they ask for what they need.<\/h4>\n

\u201cThe happiest couples we see make it a habit to ask for what they need and listen to each other\u2019s needs (without being resentful). Running around hoping another person will know what you need or that you are supposed to know exactly what they need is a recipe for disaster. The happiest couples are delighted to openly talk about needs and honor differences in needs without feeling like anyone should have already known or that their \u2018soulmate\u2019 will have the same needs as them.\u201d \u2015 Dr. Danielle Harel, sex and relationship coach<\/p>\n

7. They set aside time to reconnect and make it a priority.<\/h4>\n

\u201cThey understand that in long-term relationships, affection and sex don\u2019t just happen, couples need to have a commitment to cultivating connection instead of hoping it just happens. For example, at the beginning of a relationship, most couples can\u2019t keep their hands off each other. Later on in a relationship, they can\u2019t seem to keep their hands off their phones or computers. Couples who commit to prioritizing time to be together, to show affection and to keep learning and growing around sex, are definitely the happiest.\u201d —\u00a0Celeste Hirschman, sex and relationship coach<\/p>\n

8. They laugh together \u2015 often.<\/h4>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy for a relationship to deteriorate into just talking about logistics, saving your funny anecdotes for your best friend or coworker. This is a mistake. When couples get out of the habit of laughing together, their relationship is at risk of losing its joy and spirit.\u201d\u2015 Dr. Samantha Rodman<\/p>\n

9. They discuss their finances.<\/h4>\n

\u201cFighting over money is one of the top reasons for divorce. Unfortunately, most couples avoid talking about money until they have money problems so big they can no longer be ignored. Forcing yourselves to talk about money before there is a big problem is one of the smartest things you can do to ensure your marriage will be happy and long-lasting.\u201d \u2015Kurt Smith<\/p>\n

10. They give each other the benefit of the doubt.<\/h4>\n

\u201c<\/strong>When people are struggling in relationships it\u2019s not unusual to feel that your partner is on a completely different team that you. Remember that you are on the same team and that you both care about one another. Giving your partner the benefit of the doubt is a great strength in a happy relationship.\u201d\u00a0\u2015\u00a0Dr. Marie Land, psychologist.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Source: Huffingtonpost<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy relationships don\u2019t happen by accident. It takes two emotionally healthy, loving people who are committed to being the best partners they can be. We recently asked relationship experts to tell us how the happiest couples they\u2019ve worked with stay happy and keep their connection strong along the way. Here\u2019s what they had to say: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":279368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[354],"tags":[3,3721,355,1693],"yoast_head":"\nTen habits of people in the happiest relationships - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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