Relationships can be hard work, but…

Relationships require a remarkable amount of focus and lots of effort. Some relationships do work out better than others and are more easily maintained. Nonetheless, there is no relationship between two human beings (same or opposite sex) that does not require some practices to weather the storm that is life. Below are some of the suggested practices.
Cut poor relationships early on: It may sound counter-intuitive, but the fact is, you can’t make every relationship work. Most relationships are doomed from the start. You may know it’s not good for you, but you stick around anyway, just in case you’re wrong. Stop being so hopeful (not to mention stupid)! The more time you waste dating the wrong person, the less time you have to meet the right one.
Demand your own alone time: We all need to spend time alone, whether or not we know it. Oftentimes, we ignore this fact and then emotionally retract into our shells or caverns, becoming temporary hermits as a result of an unbalanced lifestyle. Spend time alone regularly and you’ll have a clearer mind to guide you through all those emotions you’re experiencing.
Respect your partner’s personal time: It’s sometimes easier for us to demand our own personal time than to grant it to the person we love. Our egos understand the importance of personal space when we need it, but what about when he or she needs it? What if your partner needs alone time at the same time you arefeeling like you need more attention and intimacy? Always do your best to give your partner space when he or she really needs it. Knowing when is another story…
Don’t Cheat: Cheating is a result of laziness. You’re obviously not doing enough within your relationship to keep it exciting. Relationships sometimes have problems, causing people to fall into the arms of others, but if you have a healthy relationship, don’t go looking for a new tail. Your partner is definitely just as beautiful as when you met her/him a few months ago. You’re just bored because you’re too lazy to make things exciting.
Let your partner know how you feel: Don’t just tell him or her; show your partner that you love him or her that you care. Expressing your love requires you having a keen understanding of what affection means to him or her not to you, but to your partner. This is where most people go wrong. We think that loving our partners the way that we, ourselves, want to be loved is the same as loving them the way they want to be loved. It most cases, two people perceive love in two different ways.
Always go that extra mile: Why, you may ask? Because your partner deserves it. He or she deserves everything, the relationship can offer. If you could give it to him or her, you should. This is the person you love and you wish all the best experiences in the world for. Your partner’s happiness is, in part, your happiness.
Always listen first: We talk too much and listen too little, too often. Most of the time, people don’t want to know your opinion; they just want someone to vent to, someone who will share their pain and listen to them. Just listen, if, and only if, they want your advice should you give it to them.
Always make positive things into competitions: Relationships should motivate both people to be the best versions of themselves they can be both for themselves and for their partners. Turn life into a game and race. Just remember, there can be no losers in this situation. The whole essence is trying to bring out the best in each other and not to determine who the better partner is. Never Make Negative Things a Competition: It’s one thing when there’s healthy competition within a relationship, competition that produces positive results for both parties. It’s another when the competition produces negative effects. Healthy competitions don’t produce losers; both people are doing their best and their progress is reward in itself. But when there is a clear loser, that person feels like a loser. No one wants to feel like a loser or feel weaker, uglier, less successful or dumber than their partner, regardless of how much they love him or her.
Be rational and logical: Use your partner to his or her greatest benefit; your partner is your best friend. This, of course, requires you to distance yourself from your emotions and give an objective, unbiased argument. Easier said than done? Maybe. But whoever told you that relationships are easy was lying to you.
Understand your emotions before you act on them; reflect: Never act on impulse or on an emotion in a moment. Emotions are often too intense during the moment you feel them; they amplify the situation beyond its regular bounds. Only make decisions when reflecting on emotions. Reflecting on emotions after the fact is far wiser than acting on them in the moment of experience.
Get to know your partner deeply: This is one phenomenon I have yet been able to concisely put into words. When you know someone deeply, you know that person in the same way he or she knows him or herself. That’s really the only way I can describe it. It’s not that you know all the information and facts there are to know; you know them for whatever exactly it is that makes them, them. Some call it a soul.
Be respectful: A person is not a thing. If you love someone, you have to respect and treat that person as a human being. Often times, this does require giving personal space.
Never put your partner down: You shouldn’t push anyone down just to make yourself feel a good, especially not your life partner. You pushing him or her down a mile to get you a few extra feet brings your relationship as a whole (the two of you) to a loss.
Keep your promises: You’re only as good as your word; that counts double in relationships. Never go back on your words, it means a lot in relationships.
Always look your best: For whatever reason, people like to test out how much their loved ones love them by having them see them at their worst. Believe me when I tell you, they will have plenty of time to see you at your worst but only if you look your best for as long as possible. The fact is, attributes we find physically attractive add to our level of emotion. Look better and the love will intensify by default due to the arousal.
Be open with your partner: Don’t lie to your partner. Be honest and sincere. He or she should know all the important things about you and your life. Secrets should never be given a chance in relationships. However all the unimportant stuff should be kept at bay as saying all the unimportant things can become very boring in the long run. Leave some things to the imagination. Let the minds and imaginations of both you and your partner fill in the missing gaps. This way, you’ll always stay on each other’s minds.
 Courtesy: Friends.com