There's no denying it— relationships are hard work. But, when you find someone you want to be with long-term, all that hard work becomes infinitely worth it.
When you find the right partner, showing up for each other is key. "You need to look for the random acts of consideration and kindness," psychologist Nikki Martinez tells Bustle. "These are the things that will last you. For example, my toilet paper and paper towels have been magically refilled since a month into dating my husband."
Whether you're single, just beginning a relationship or years in, everyone wants to know the secret to staying happy with someone. It's important to remember that you never see the whole picture when looking at other people's relationships, making it easy to forget the hard work they've put into it.
Sometimes they're willing to share their words of wisdom, luckily these individuals in long-term relationships shared what they do to make it work.
1. "It's really important that we continue to go out of our way for the other."
"We work hard to dedicate time to doing things together because, even though we live together and technically get to see each other every day, it's really important that we continue to go out of our way for the other."— Ilana
2. "... We both understand the importance of independence and nurturing our personal lives."
"My boyfriend and I give each other a respectful amount of space to live our lives as young adults while still remaining in a committed relationship. Whenever he wants to hang out with his friends, I try not to give him a hard time. And, he always encourages me to go out with my friends and have a good time. While we love each other and try to spend ample amount of time together, we both understand the importance of independence and nurturing our personal lives." — Nediva
3. "A break once in a while is healthy."
"A break once in a while is healthy. If we spent every minute of the day together, after 18 years, we would be exhausted. My husband and I joke all of the time that we could never work together because all of the time together would be too much.
"Don't get stressed or worried if you find yourself watching television in the bedroom by yourself at night while your partner is in the living room. Little breaks like this are necessary and healthy. It keeps things light and fresh. And even though my husband and I are soulmates, we still have different interests. I don't like any of his television shows and he doesn't like mine, so we don't mind spending time in separate rooms once in awhile watching what we like. It's okay."— Sophia
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