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February is “Relationship Wellness Month” and we are making it a priority to focus on how we can better nurture our relationships and spend quality time with the people who mean the most to us. It seems like every year gets busier and busier, and our lives are constantly inundated by deadlines, emails, and Instagram stories. We are feeling motivated to slow down and care for those around us who make a difference in our lives every day.

Today we are focusing on nurturing romantic relationships at every stage. We personally find it helpful to hear relationship advice from people who are in our same stage of life or who have been there before us, so we gathered tips from couples in every stage of a romantic relationship — and even submitted tips of our own. Read our tips below and please leave your own personal advice in a comment so we can learn from you! Also, don’t miss our February Book Club featuring 5 books about love including a marriage advice book and entertaining fiction reads.

Dating / Engagement

“Dating is a blast. Falling in love, taking your first trip together, meeting each other’s friends, all of those moments are so fun. But if you’re a planner like me, it’s difficult to embrace the present and to not worry about what the future holds. When you know you’re dating the person you want to be with forever, you begin to be preoccupied by next steps. You want a plan and to know that you and your significant other are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, that planning mentality can take away from the romance and it can strain a relationship. One way to be in the moment in your dating relationship is to start a daily journal focusing on what you are thankful for and what you are looking forward to that day. Gratitude for the present will help you be the best version of yourself, be at peace with unknowns, and appreciate your significant other in the stage you are in.” – Kathryn Worsham, HoH team member

Recently Married with a New Baby

“Don’t forget to show appreciation towards your significant other for all they’re doing during the chaos of the newborn phase and adjusting around your little one. Everyone benefits from a thank you and a little pick me up, especially after a night of no sleep!” – Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth who recently gave birth to sweet baby Gwen Emerson.

Married with Young Children

“Life can get pretty crazy with work, kids and all the other responsibilities on your plate, but always remember at the core of it is your relationship with your partner.  Remember to put each other first and to set aside adult time for just the two of you.  Fred and I take the kids’ bedtime seriously – for them and also for us.  They need their sleep and we need adult time after they go to bed at 7:30pm.  We also have a date night every Thursday evening.  Sometimes we hire a babysitter and go out, other nights we just cook in our kitchen together, but it’s something I look forward to every week.” – Caroline

Working with Your Spouse

“Baxter (Box) and I are yin and yang when it comes to our skills. He oversees the technical side of the business while I oversee the marketing side. We sit next to each other in meetings and really balance each other’s ideas. Once we got married, we decided to make our relationship, family and faith a priority. We have set work hours, guidelines for talking about business at home (it is off limits!) and we have designated family time on our calendars during the week. This has helped to create a healthy “balance” between work and home.” – Amber Venz Box, Co-Founder of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it.

Long-Term Marriage

“You should go into the relationship with the attitude that you are second and the other spouse comes first.  Imagine a selfless relationship where you are both always putting each other’s needs before your own.  Build your relationship on Godly values and surround yourself with positive like-minded couples who set examples for what you want in a marriage and who will hold you accountable if you aren’t holding up your end of the partnership. Also, failure is not an option.  Life will throw challenges your way, but you can come out stronger on the other side because you tackled them together.” – Denise & John Harper (married 39 years)

 

Leave your relationship advice in the comments below! xo