MAKE EVERY DAY VALENTINE’S DAY

Getting romantic just one day a year will not keep your relationship healthy, so…

NOTICE THE SMALL THINGS. Every single issue or gesture makes a difference. Negative small things can add up to big problems, while positive ones can build closeness even better.

TAKE OFF YOUR MASK. Many of us act out a one-sided persona because we think it is what our partner likes. But a lasting relationship needs you to show your true desires and feelings.

FIGHT STEREOTYPES. We all pick up unconscious “scripts” (from television, magazines, family) of how we think couples should act. These can suffocate a relationship. Think about what you both really want, and then start from there.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER’S DREAMS. Each of you will bring ambitions from your single life. Apart from those incompatible with partnership (such as taking your life savings to a casino), it is very important to support - and make sacrifices for - each other’s dreams.

ALLOW FOR SEPARATENESS. The growth of a relationship depends partly on the growth of the individuals. If you want to do things separately sometimes, it does not mean there is something wrong. Most breakups are mainly due to suffocation, because the couples do the activities together, until they get sick and tired of each other.