It's the Little Things: 5 Easy Ways to Have a Happier Relationship

WhisperingEveryday busyness and distractions oftentimes force us to put our relationships with our spouses or significant others on the back burner. But - as I found out the hard way myself - too much time on that back burner ends up creating distance between you and your partner, which can have adverse long-term effects. So, how do we balance the demands of life and love and not lose touch with each other?

Here are my top suggestions for busy people like you, gleaned from my own experience - 5 easy ways you can feel closer to your significant other every day and have a better, happier relationship with minimal effort:






BedGo To Bed At The Same Time
Intimacy is key to keeping your relationship alive and healthy, and bedtime is the closest and most intimate time of the day that you likely spend together. So, keep the TV off and the smartphones out of the bedroom and focus on each other.









FunHave Fun Together
And I mean actively seek to do things together you both enjoy, and do those things regularly. This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many couples become more like roommates or business partners - especially after kids - and stop having fun together. But the truth is, if your relationship doesn't have lighthearted good times in it, it's not going to last. Life isn't a carnival ride to be sure, but play and fun DO need to be priorities in your relationship if you want it to remain healthy and stable.



Related: 5 lessons learned from 18 years of marriage



Hold HandsHold Hands
Do it every day. When you're out at the grocery store, or when you're just sitting on the couch watching TV together. It's amazing what a little touch can do to make you both feel more connected.










SexHave Sex
It's the best way to bolster intimacy and connection, and absolutely necessary to any healthy relationship. So make time for it, and don't try convincing yourself it doesn't matter. It does.













Related: 13 tips for snagging a man (circa 1938)


WhisperingConfide In One Another
And confide in one another before you confide in friends or family. Make each other your go-to person when you have problems or issues, or when you just need to let off some steam. Letting the other person in and sharing your true thoughts and feelings will bring you closer together.








-By Tracey Gaughran-Perez

For 2 more ways to have a happier relationship, visit Babble!

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Tracey Gaughran-PerezTracey Gaughran-Perez aka Sweetney, is a single mom, PhD dropout, prototypical Gen-Xer, and professional writer/editor. Tracey lives with her evil genius 8-year-old daughter and several insane pets in the concrete wilds of beautiful Baltimore, Maryland, where she struggles to balance life, work, and motherhood - with varying degrees of success.

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