How to show love and gratitude in your relationship

Photo by Austin Kehmeier

Originally Posted On: How to show love and gratitude in your relationship | Talented Ladies Club

Maintaining a lasting and loving relationship is not something that happens by default. Find out how to nurture yours by showing love and gratitude.

A healthy, happy and long relationship takes work, time and effort. And couples that don’t take the time to show their love and gratitude to one another are more likely to drift apart and experience increasing problems in their relationship.

That’s clearly not a situation you want to find yourself in, so what needs to be done differently? That’s the core question we’re seeking to answer here today. There’s no easy answers or simple shortcuts to where you want your relationship to be.

However, there is a range of things you can start to do differently on a day to day basis that’ll help you show your partner the love and gratitude you know they deserve. So read on now to find out more.

Simply expressing your feelings is the first place you should start. If you and your partner have fallen out of the habit of expressing your emotions to each other and expressing those feelings of love, you should try to change that situation.

It’s not always easy to get this right 100% of the time, but getting into a habit of reminding each other that you love one another is important and it’s certainly not something that you can afford to overlook. There’s no better way to show and share your love.

In a relationship, there’s always a dynamic that’s specific to that relationship and the people in it. But the last thing you want in your relationship is for your partner to feel like they’re the person doing all the giving while you’re the one doing the taking.

They might one day stop and ask themselves why they’re remaining in a relationship such as that. So strive to offer value to the relationship and give to the other person rather than simply taking from it in ways that benefit for you.

Another way to communicate your feelings and do something nice for your partner is to write them notes. These can be little reminders of your love and your appreciation for them. Maybe you could prepare them lunch to take to work and leave them a note to find later.

Small but spontaneous things like this will always be highly appreciated and hugely valuable. It might seem out of your comfort zone to do things like this at first but it’s worth putting in the effort because it’ll mean a lot to your partner.

Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices and that’s part of being in a committed relationship. You should always try to do things that you don’t really want to do if it’s something your partner feels passionate about.

It doesn’t even have to be as deep as that though; sometimes, simple sitting down and watching a movie with your partner that doesn’t really appeal to you can show your love for them and allow you to share in something that you ordinarily wouldn’t.

In return, they might do something with you that they wouldn’t usually choose to. It’s about sharing those moments.

Bringing your partner breakfast in bed is the perfect gesture of gratitude. If they’ve been supporting you a lot and you know that they deserve something in return, helping them relax and enjoy the easy life whenever the opportunity arrives is the perfect solution.

It’s about giving something back and going out of your way to do something pleasant for them. Again, it doesn’t take too much effort on your part but it is one of those things that’ll be hugely appreciated by your partner and that’s what matters.

There are certain dates throughout the year when you’re expected to make that extra effort and to do something special for your partner. Failing to do so suggests inattention and a lack of effort in the relationship, and that’s not what you want.

So make sure that you give her some Flowers for Valentine’s Day and cook her a meal. And don’t forget when your anniversary or any other dates that are important to your relationship fall. Make an effort to make those days extra special for you both.

Making time in which you and your partner can spend quality time together is something that’s massively important. It allows you to get away from the home and the kids and spend time with each other in a one on one context.

For many couples, whether they have children or not, that’s something that’s not always possible. But once a month, you could both commit to being free and heading out for a meal together or something similar. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference and should help to bring you both closer together.

As well as heading out and treating them to a meal at a restaurant from time to time, you might also want to cook for them. Doing this from time to time can be a great show of gratitude if it’s usually them who has to cook for you.

Reversing those roles and going the extra mile to cook a great meal for them, even if you’re not the most accomplished chef in the world, will go a long way towards showing them that you do care and that you love them dearly.

Being in a relationship is about supporting one another and being there through the good times and the bad. If you want to make your partner feel secure in this relationship and you want to let them know that they can have complete confidence in your commitment to them and supporting them, you need to be there when times are tough.

Things aren’t always easygoing and pleasant in life, and you have to be there to support your partner when they need that support most of all.

Sometimes, simply giving a gift for the sake of giving it can be what your partner needs from you. We all kind of expect gifts at certain times of the year and on birthdays, but when you surprise your partner with something you think they’ll love at a time when they’re not expecting anything at all, you take them by surprise and that makes the gift all the more appreciated.

This doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money on an expensive gift; it can be something small but meaningful, for example.

Being truly committed to your partner and your relationship also means knowing when they need some time alone. It’s not always the case that they’re going to want to be around you and if you both have confidence in your relationship, you should be comfortable giving them some alone time. It’s something that’ll benefit both of you and your relationship if you do this.

Maintaining positive relationships isn’t always easy and it’s easy to forget to do the kinds of things we’ve discussed here when you’ve been in a relationship for a long time. But if you want your relationship to last and remain rewarding for both parties, it’s important to make that extra effort.