Many of us who are actively dating always wonder what makes successful relationships, and if there’s a formula we can follow so we can be happy with our future spouse. Well, we can’t always control the circumstances that lead us to find the love of our life, but when it comes to making sure that our relationship is successful, we only need specific factors to be present.

Common Factors In Successful Relationships

If you ask friends or family this question: “What makes relationships successful?”, those who have been together for 10 happy years, or more, will likely tell you that you would need the following factors:

Accept That Both Of You Are Individuals

The first factor is the acceptance that both of you in the relationship are still individuals. You can do things as a couple, but also, you shouldn’t forget that you have to do things individually. For example, if your partner is into dancing, you should let her attend her salsa lessons every weekend.

There are couples that are set on spending every waking moment together. While there’s nothing wrong with that, doing too much of it could make one person in the relationship feel suffocated.

Communication And Respect

Most couples would say that communication is very important when in a relationship, and they’re right. But, what they don’t mention that often is respect. Respect and communication must be present in the relationship. Respect is mandatory – don’t talk bad about your partner behind his or her back especially with friends or family, don’t cuss your partner, always respect your partner’s presence in your life.

As for communication, you have to talk about the small things and big things, and this includes issues that are painful to talk about.

Realistic Expectations Of The Relationship

The last factor on this list is realistic expectations. You have to come to terms with the fact that you’re not going to adore each other 24/7, and that everything’s not always going to be perfect. Both people need to have a realistic view of what it’s like to be in a serious relationship.

If you make sure that these three factors are present when you’re already in a relationship, it’ll better your chances of being together longer and happier. Of course, there are other factors that make successful relationships, but let’s start with these three because they are the most basic.

Do you think you can spot any of the three factors on this list in your relationship now? If not, you can always work for it. There are more dating news and topics on our blog so make sure to check out the rest of our posts.

Today, it’s not just how we act around and towards our partner that indicates the health of our relationship. Our sleeping positions can also say a thing or two about how our relationship is going. Can you believe it? Well, you should because it is backed up by experts. One of them is a bed expert, Steve Pickering, MD of Sussex Beds. He says: “Many couples are probably not aware of how much their sleeping position reveals about their relationship” and he is right. We don’t know what our sleeping positions mean.

Different Sleeping Positions And Their Meaning For Couples

Patti Wood, a body language expert with more than 30 years of experience and author of Success Signals, A Guide to Reading Body Language, refers to our sleeping positions as sleep body language. She says that our bodies’ positions as we sleep are controlled by our subconscious mind, so how our body is positioned during sleep can be an accurate tool to assess how the relationship is.

Here are different sleeping positions common for couples and their meaning:

Spooning

All couples are probably familiar with spooning. It’s a position where the couple lies side by side – one person facing the back of the other with knees bent.

Experts say that when couples spoon, it means that there’s trust in the relationship. When you’re the little spoon or the person with his or her back turned from your partner, it means that you fully trust your partner. If you’re the big spoon or the person facing the back of your partner, it means that you are protective of the person you’re with.

Facing Each Other

Of all the sleeping positions, you might think that this one means that the couple has a good connection with each other. But, no, you’re mistaken. If a couple sleeps facing each other, it means that they require more intimacy or connection in the relationship.

If a couple is distant or is hungry for intimacy, their subconscious mind will attempt to make that connection as the couple sleeps. So, it’s like partners are trying to look each other in the eyes all throughout the night.

Sleeping On Opposites Sides Of The Bed

The last sleeping position on this list could indicate trouble in the relationship. If you start of snuggling and then you slowly gravitate towards the opposite sides of the bed, it could mean that both of you need space.

You don’t have to worry about this sleeping position when you normally sleep this way. It could be that your partner or you feel uncomfortable when you snuggle while you sleep. Your partner could also be the type that kicks when he or she is sleeping. So, again, you don’t have to worry about anything when you normally sleep on opposite sides of the bed.

It’s interesting how experts can now read our relationships’ health based on how our bodies are positioned as we sleep. Which sleeping position was the most interesting to you? We have more posts like this so make sure you check them out on our blog.

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What do happy couples do to remain happy? That’s a good question! The truth is happy couples don’t have a set guide on how to make the other person happy or how to make the relationship work. Both people merely do what comes naturally to them.

Do These Things And You’ll Be One Of The Happy Couples

For us outsiders who need a little more practice when it comes to maintaining the happiness in relationships, it could be interesting to identify particular habits that happy couples do. We believe that the key to a relationship’s happiness could lie within these habits.

Listening

Listening is seemingly simple, but a lot of people have trouble with this skill. When in a relationship, a good set of listening skills can come in handy. This brings us to the first habit that happy couples do which is listening to each other. It’s not just listening to everyday stuff too. It’s listening when your significant other has something important to say – no excuses.

Morning Time

Everyone experiences a busy period from time to time, but a happy couple always finds a way to talk or spend time together. Commonly, when happy couples can’t find enough time to spend with the other, they converge in the kitchen for some breakfast each morning! This is a good idea because it sets your day up for happiness, given that the mood is light while you’re eating breakfast.

Small Surprises

Happy couples don’t always buy each other expensive gifts. What they surprise each other with constantly are inexpensive ones that have significance. For example, if you know that your girl likes tea sets, and you come across a really cheap one at a yard sale, buy the set for her. It’s the thoughtfulness in these small gifts that tell the other person you care.

Little Romance

Think of a small gesture that can make a moment more romantic. It could be leaving small notes, buying your girl flowers, or planning a simple dinner in your backyard. It is small gestures that happy couples like to do from time to time. They’re not grand gestures of love, but they certainly do the trick.

Remember that the happy habits that couples do are not limited to the ones on this list. Find your own way of showing the person you’re with that you care a great deal. Then, make a habit out of it!

The goal is simple: to make the other person happy. Don’t even think about yourself or the relationship. Focus on the goal, and you’ll form happy habits of your own sooner than you think. Check out more Anastasia Dating tips on our blog.

Talking to your online date on the phone isn’t such a hard thing to do. You pick up the handset then dial his or her number. But, think about this: how about if it’s your first time talking to each other over the phone? Do you think that it would still be easy?

Phone Your Date to Establish A Deeper Connection

Definitely, you will feel your nerves when it’s your first time to phone your date after weeks or months of chatting. Before you do so, it’s important that you keep in mind the following golden rules:

1. Use the phone call to gauge your chemistry.

Chatting with your online date can be fun. But, talking to each other and actually hearing each other’s voice is a totally different story. Look at your phone call as an opportunity for you to see if there’s real chemistry between you and your potential date. It would also be nice to hear your potential match’s voice, right?

2. Phone calls are a great way to make plans.

Once again, talking about plans through chat is OK. There’s nothing wrong with it. However, if you talk about your plans over the phone, it delivers a different impact. Over the phone, promises sound more substantial.

3. Ask your date about your calls.

There are people who don’t really like making phone calls. You have to be sure that your date is comfortable with this type of communication. It might be working for you, but it might not be for your date. If he or she isn’t comfortable with phone calls, then you have to compromise and meet in the middle.

A lot of people think that phone calls are already outdated. However, it can still be a useful communication tool. Anastasia Date, for example, has a specific service available to members where one person can contact another over the phone. For more dating tips, read other posts on the blog.