*this post was written by a contributor*
Have realistic expectations. Have you ever been with someone that drives you up the wall? They might make you laugh every day, and you might have great sex, but does it still annoy you how they let mugs pile up on the bedside table, or never do the washing up?!
You might not realise it, but their expectations are different from yours, and there's likely a million things that tick them off too. It's all about managing those expectations and compromising if you want to get along – just remember some expectations are valid.
Talk it out. Communication takes many forms in a relationship. There's the vocal kind, the emotional kind, the physical kind. Really, communication is all-important if you want to be with just about anyone. A lot of the time miscommunication is the root of a problem and talking things out can help.
Don't ditch a good relationship because of a communication issue. If there’s love it's worth making some effort to get to know the issue a bit better and get creative with a solution. If you aren't understanding each other, set some time aside to talk it through - and maybe one day you'll need that 1 carat diamond...!
Try to compromise. Compromise is when you both want to do separate things but there's a reason why you have to pick one of those things. It could be something like where to go for Christmas Dinner; your family home, or his. Or maybe you can't agree on when to go on holiday? Or what film to watch at the cinema?
These separate ideas can actually cause quite a bit of friction and discontent between you. You go around asking yourself why your partner had to be so unreasonable, and why you have the right to this, etc. Well, you need to compromise. You need to give something up, and so do they, to make things better for everyone.
Look after yourself. Even if you're not in a long-term relationship, this one still applies. You've got to know what inspires you every day, what routines work best for you, and what will bring you happiness in the long term. If you don't know what does it for you it's time to find out.
Making yourself happy is not something you only do as a single person, it's something you need in a relationship too. In a relationship, it's easy to forget about yourself sometimes but each time you remember, do something about it. Go meet up with friends, or travel solo for a change.
Be dependable. Loving someone is about having fun in the bedroom, no doubt! It's also about being there for your lover when they need you. If they're feeling down or unloved you need to catch them and lift them up again. If you're not there at those important times it can lead to trust issues and opens up a gap between you.
To be a dependable partner, understand what their moods are like and try to be there for them when they dip. You can expect the same from them. To make your relationship better you can talk about this stuff now and again so you're on the same page.
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