Relationships are not built on techniques

Whether you've been dating someone for a while, currently live with a partner, or are part of a long-married couple, you might be seeking ways to make your relationship?even better.

Unlike holiday love stories and romantic comedies in which all is resolved after one or two conflicts, maintaining thriving relationships takes real effort. But it doesn’t have to be difficult.

With the daily grind of responsibilities and frayed nerves, it’s understandable why dealing with partner issues falls to the bottom of your list. Just keeping up with all of life's responsibilities—work, kids, family, friends, neighbors, your home—is taxing, and many of us are plain tired. Especially during difficult times, it’s easier to avoid facing your stalling relationship or eroded intimacy issues.

There are a few tried-and-true methods that work to improve relationships: be a?good listener, carve out time together, enjoy a?quality sex life, and divvy up those pesky chores. While these have been proven effective by relationship experts, you can also branch out to these seven unexpected ways to bond and enhance your relationship.

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Spend Time Apart???

It sounds counterintuitive as a way to?improve your relationship, but take a break from your partner. Everyone needs their own space and quality time outside a relationship. Dating and marriage counselors remind us that you deserve that breathing room.

Go to Sleep at the Same Time

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For a healthier relationship, head to bed at the same time. There are night owls and early birds who live on different schedules, and then there are those who work in bed while the other is watching Netflix in another room. Whatever the situation,?synchronize your bedtimes.

Be Vulnerable

Sometimes you have to dig deep to be vulnerable. “Couples may find it surprising, but if each one becomes curious about one's own blind spots, discovers them, and then is courageous enough to share that vulnerability, it can help create deeper intimacy,” advised Meredith?Resnick, LCSW, creator of Shamerecovery.com.

Create Novel Experiences

Although eating your favorite pizza every Saturday night and incorporating rituals in your life strengthens relationships, boredom does creep in. Therefore, you should shake things up—pepper your routine with unpredictable date nights and moments of fun.

Surprise With Little Things

Small gestures keep the spark alive and remind your partner you are thinking about them. Happy couples are kind to each other. Giving or volunteering to help out is a plus. In fact, acts of kindness are powerful, and?those that are unplanned?tend to fuel overall well-being.

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