Are you a happy couple? Is a simple question really but one that not many people ask themselves – am I happy? Are we happy together? What does a happy couple look like to us?
All people in relationships want them to be happy ones, they want to have that coveted ‘happy couples’ title. But what is it that makes a happy couple and what is it that happy couples do differently?
Not all happy couples look the same – happiness is a different standard for different people. What makes one couple blissfully happy could be a big no for another couple. That’s the beautiful thing – there is no one right answer.
But when it comes to the habits of a happy couple, and some of the fundamental foundations, well, they are the same across the board. Because it’s that strong foundation that helps build the happy couple status.
These are just 7 of the things happy couples do differently that make them stand out from couples that are just going through the motions:
1 – They Talk
Happy couples talk, often, and not just about how their day at work was or how the children are going. They talk about their goals, their dreams, what makes them happy and sad. They communicate any issues they have and they work through them together.
One of the most exciting things about being a couple is that you have someone to talk to, someone to support you and someone to help you through any problems or struggles.
Happy couples talk about everything and they love talking with each other.
2 – They Spend Time Apart
One of the ‘traps’ many couples fall into is that they start spending all of their time together. Of course they want to! They are happy and in love and being with the one they love is so much fun!
But… you were a happy independent person before you got into a relationship, and it’s important to continue to honour that happy independent person throughout your relationship.
Not only that, but it is also good to spend time alone in order to recharge and fill your own cup. You don’t have to do everything together, it’s good to have things each of you likes to do alone.
Just because he wants to go to a Star Wars convention doesn’t mean you have to grin and bear it (or the other way around).
Time apart doesn’t mean you don’t want to be together, it means that you understand that you are both individuals who need alone time to recharge. Plus it makes that together time even sweeter.
3 – They Listen To Each Other
Talking to each other is one thing, but where the real magic lies is within listening to each other.
Happy couples know more about what each other is saying through their nuances, how they speak and the words they use. They know that it isn’t just about what is being said, but how it is being said, and they can tell more about their partner because of it.
They also take the time to stop and listen to what each other has to say and values each others opinions.
4 – They Respect Each Other’s Differences
While it might be hard to look past things if he loves DC and you love Marvel, a happy couple understands that you are two different, individual people and there are going to be some differences.
It doesn’t matter what your differences are, what matters is how you treat each other because of them. A happy couple would never use each other’s differences in a negative way, and often understands that it’s the differences they have that make them work so well together.
One person’s weakness is another person’s strength and a happy couple knows how to use their differences to make their relationship even better.
5 – They Know It’s The Little Things That Make The Biggest Difference
It’s all the little things that make the biggest difference in a relationship and a happy couple knows this.
It’s not about the gifts you give on Valentine’s Day or the over the top romantic gestures on your Anniversary. It’s about the coffee you make for him of a morning, or that he refuels your car for you because he saw it was nearly empty.
The little things are what makes relationships so sweet and they are what will get you through the hard times. These are the building blocks of your relationship and a happy couple knows they are what makes the biggest difference.
6 – They Express Love And Gratitude
Expressions of love look different for each person, but a happy couple knows how to understand each other’s love language (take the test – it is amazing).
From washing your car, through to making your favorite meal, love can be shown in so many different ways and a happy couple works together to understand each others ways of showing love.
They also show gratitude for each other do so on a regular basis, not just when grand gestures occur. They know that expressions of love and gratitude bring each other closer and make each other feel good.
7 – They Accept Each Other Without Trying To Change Them
People who are in happy relationships don’t try to change each other. They love and accept each other just the way they are, and don’t try to change or manipulate each other in any way.
The characteristics are what they love, regardless of how other’s feel about them. And they don’t put pressure on each other to be any different. They love each other for who they are and continue to love each other through natural changes and evolutions of life.
Happy couples stick with each other through everything, they build each other up, are each other’s biggest supporters and love each other through the highs and lows of relationships and life.
They know that working together is better than working against each other and that a relationship isn’t a competition, but it is a partnership, and it’s pretty darn sweet.
