Anyone who’s looking for their partner to fill all of their voids and make their life perfect... well they need to watch chick flicks, not be in a relationship. 

You should always have

standards in a relationship, but loosen up on the expectations. It’s a surefire way to end up disappointed. You have family. You have friends. You have co-workers and acquaintances. All

of these people can bring something significant to your life.

Take the pressure off of who you’re with if you're a person who's expecting them to be your everything. They're human. Humans

make mistakes. Translation: "everything" will never happen.

Sex is important. Period. It’s not the only way to stay intimate in a relationship though. It’s important to also be affectionate. Spoon at night. Kiss in the morning. Hold hands

when you’re out. Pinch cheeks. Eskimo kiss (remember that? Rubbing noses together?).

Also, don’t just be physically intimate. Be emotionally intimate too. Tell each other “I love you.” And, out of

the blue, even tell each other some of the reasons why. An affectionate couple is a connected one. Mind, body and spirit.

If you’re going on dates at all, kudos! Sometimes couples who’ve been together for a while fall off in this department. That’s not a good thing.

Dating is how you’re able to

get some downtime in to really focus on each other. Dinner and a movie is cool, but try and be a little more spontaneous than that! Take a road trip.

Go camping in your backyard. Have a picnic in the dead of winter (soap, cocoa and cuddling are the perfect storm). Check out a musician in a genre of music

neither one of you have considered before. Go zip-lining. Pick your partner up from work to go to a new restaurant that just opened up.

A part of the fun of

dating is coming up with exciting dates. And, it sends the message to the one you’re with that they’re on your mind and you love spending time with them. Good

move.

Anything that suffocates, dies. Relationships are not exempt.

Relationships aren’t just about love, they’re about trust. One way to show your partner that you trust them is to back up and

give them some space sometimes.

Encourage outings with their friends. Be OK with them wanting to watch a game at a bar alone. Sometimes they may want to hang out in

their “man cave” to watch a movie by themselves they like and you hate. It’s fine. Space is a good thing. It’s gives relationships space to breathe. And to grow.

Nothing good comes from stagnation. Once a season (winter, spring, summer and fall), go on a coffee date to see if your relationship is headed in the direction you both

want it to go. Not only that, set goals to make sure that you stay on the same page. When two people want to share a future together, they show

it by making plans together. What plans do you guys have to keep your relationship solid?